A Modern Epic
by Fancy Letters
Summary: What if Myths weren't just stories from thousands of years ago? What if one was to happen in modern times, something strange and completely unexpected. Rated M for future smut and language. (This story is an improved and re-uploaded version of a story I started 2 years ago, and wish to finally finish.) Minor OC x Annabeth, Major OC x Thalia. Smut warning chapter 4, 6 and 14
1. Chapter 1 - A Hunt To Remember

Chapter 1- A Hunt To Remember

Artemis was on the hunt.

It wasn't just any hunt either. She was without her hunters, which hadn't happened in year, but she relished in the freedom of being by herself. She could take her time, plan things out not worry about the safety of her devoted maidens. She had the sovereignty to make this hunt what she wanted, and being a Goddess didn't always have this. It was always "be here" or "there is a meeting upon Olympus, your Father has summoned you" or "It's time to drag the moon across the sky again." But tonight, the moon was new, and she could liberty to chase her prey, and what a pray it was.

The hunters had told her stories of a Griffon, an unusual sight in Central America, even if the fires of the gods burned throughout the country. But this Griffin had golden fur that was almost impossible to penetrate with arrow or blade, no matter how hard they tried. Artemis guess that somewhere along the beast's blood line it had mixed with a Nemean Lion, a rare creature indeed. Much to their dismay, she told them this was to be her hunt, she just felt it should be just her and her own wits. Its pelt would make a fine addition to the hunts spoils regardless of who was accompanying her.

She had been following her pray for a day and a night, she knew it was midnight now. The beast had not eluded her as such, but it wasn't easy to follow. Track, yes, it left giant eagle like footprints in its wake, and when it flew broken branches made it clear where it had gone. But she had made little ground, but she didn't care. She savoured the hunt.

She ran through the dense woodland, her silver hunting dress glistened slightly by the little moonlight the new moon gave of, but it was a clear night, the stars shone above her, lighting her path. The goddess normally looked young, around 13, this being her preferred appearance, but she decided to stay in her older form. She wasn't childlike, she looked almost a woman, somewhere in her early 20s. She hadn't put her bow away since she started the hunt, it was here tradition not to put it away unless the hunt was over. She felt like tonight was the night she would catch it, but soon she started to feel tired, being a god didn't mean she would get tired. She was reluctant to stop but decided if she was she was to make use of it, clean herself and start fresh from that.

She sensed a spring nearby and decided that was as good a place as any. Artemis walked into the clearing and looked around. The scene was captivating. The goddess stood in an almost perfect semi-circular clearing, the centre of which houses a large spring that was feed by a waterfall, about 20 feet high on a rock cliff that cut through the middle of the forest. The water from the spring flowed down a stream that winded down the forest behind her. The water was crystal blue, the waterfall creating a misty spray that made the view almost magical. Artemis smiled, she had bathed in many similar pools but they always made her relax.

Artemis approached the water and laid down her bow and quiver, this didn't break her tradition, counting this as a 'Time out' almost. She then reached around her back, pulling at the strings which held her hunting gown, and pulled them loose, letting the garment fall onto the grass silently.

As she wadded her deeper into the pool and closer to the waterfall where she intended to bathe, exposing her nakedness to the forest, she had seemed to age dramatically. Her body glistened slightly under to bright night sky, her silver hair draped down her back and past her breasts, covering them. She then stood under the waterfall and began to bathe herself. She had always felt at her most intimate as the warm water crashed onto her skin, cleansing herself of the blemishes of dirt and sweat she had gotten hunting the beast. Artemis felt her worries about the hunt, her godly duties, everything flow away with the water that fell of her form.

As she brushed her hair clean, she gazed up at the bright stars that illuminated the pool with sparkling reflection. She looked at a certain constellation of stars and smiled. "Hello. Old friend." She spoke to them. The stars seemed to shine brighter as she spoke to them, almost like a response to her greeting. She smiled again, a small blush even made it across her face as she thought of her old love watching her bathe. She was a maiden, and therefore couldn't not be intimate with a man, but she had loved a giant hunter once upon a time, and when Gaia had taken him away from her, she begged Zeus her father to immortalise him in the stars. There he stayed, watching her pull the moon across the sky as she watched him, always in wonderment as to if he could really see her.

She continued to gaze up at her old friend, a tear in her eye as she reminisced about the hunts they had shared. He was the man who almost changed her opinion of men, they weren't all horrible lustful monsters she had once thought they were. He made her see some can be loyal, and loving. Artemis forced herself to stop thinking of such trivial things, men could not be trusted. But as she bathed she suddenly felt a presence behind her. When she turned there wasn't anyone there, but she felt the force reach around her bare body, holding around her stomach genially in a longing embrace. She didn't fight the presence, for some reason it felt, familiar, warm and safe. Artemis closed her eyes and let the presence hold her.

She could see with her senses the presence was shaped almost like a human torso, but its legs were missing and instead a mist emanated around them. The presence seemed to be trying to speak but no words come out. She turned to face it, her eyes still closed still trying to use her sense to see it rather than her eyes. "Orion?" she said as she cupped its invisible head in her hand, she felt nothing to touch but she knew he felt it smile then disappear, leaving her alone again, almost anyway.

She focused on the water that crashed on her face again, almost so much she nearly didn't notice something approaching the water from the forest.

Quickly she stopped washing herself, and watched the trees that surrounded the clearing, trying to pick out anything moving. Whatever it was it is hiding, maybe the griffin had returned. Maybe it was a man who had seen her bathing. That would certainly be punishable if true.

"Who goes there?" she shouted to the woodland, not even bothering to reach for her clothes and weapons, since it was already pointless, she would punish whoever it was like last time. "I warn you, last time a male gawked at my maiden purity I turned him into a boar and had hounds hunt him down for his blasphemy!" she waited for any sign of movement.

Finally behind a tree something moved. Turned as the figure moved out of the shadows. It was not a man, but a pure, white Stag. Artemis gazed upon the magnificent creature and strode out of the pool toward the Deer. She spoke to it in a gentle voice. "Well hello there, you are a beautiful creature. I am Artemis and I mean you no harm." It didn't run in fear, and she approached it still lacking any clothing. She stroked it between its two large antlers and spoke to it again.

"What quest of yours bring you here noble beast?"

The Deer didn't speak to her which was odd, usually she could understand animals, even mystical ones. But she did notice its eyes move away from her and look at something from atop the waterfalls cliff.

She was about to turn when she heard the shriek emit from the beak of the mighty golden Griffin she had been hunting. It eagle wing were spread wide, its wingspan easily at least the same length as the waterfall. Its lion's body was indeed covered in golden fur that hadn't even been scratched by the arrows her hunters had tried to plunge into it. Its beak however was black, probably a result of its usual heritance. It flew down into the shallows of the pond, and stalked toward the naked goddess.

Artemis smiled and left the Stag by the trees, where it still refused to move more. The goddess smiles, she had look forward to a challenging hunt. She was unarmed and unprotected, she was going to enjoy this. The Griffin lunged with its sharp beak but it was large and slow. With ease Artemis dodged its lung and dived for her bow that lay on the rock next to her clothes. She grabbed it, slung the quiver around her back and drew an arrow all in the space it would take you to blink. She fired arrow after arrow, not at its indestructible fur but at its face, trying to blind its eyes. The Griffin cried in anger blindly trying to knock Artemis with its head, charging at her. She rolled to the left, bringing herself up quickly and taking aim at its eye. She focused her shot and time seemed to slow around her as the arrow pinged from her string, off the bow and straight through the air into the creatures left eye.

The behemoth screamed in agony as the arrow lodged itself in its eye socket. The wailed, trying desperately to shack it out with no avail. Artemis took her chance, grabbing a roped arrow from her quiver and jumping on the Griffin's back. It was too busy trying to get the arrow free to notice Artemis looping the rope around its neck, attempting to kill the griffin the same way Heracles had bragged to her many times how her killed the Nemean lion. She pulled on the rope, crushing the creature's windpipe, attempting to strangle it to death. The beast writhed and bucked, trying to launch Artemis off its back, but she held strong, pulling to rope with all her strength. After what seemed like forever the creature finally collapsed dead. The hunt was over.

Artemis got off the Griffin's back and walked to her head of the animal. She bent down and stroked it fur, whispering to it. "Thank you for pleasure of hunting you. You will make a fine prize. Be blessed with an eternal rest in the Underworld." The beast began disintegrated into dust, but the golden feather and fur hide stayed for Artemis as a spoil, as part of her hunt. She left it for a moment as the Stag had trotted closer to her, its black eyes staring intently at her.

"My hunt is over." She said to it. It seemed to nod at her. Suddenly something that she had never seen before happened.

The Stag began to shine brightly, its physical body becoming more spirit like as she watched. Soon all that was left of the Stag was a white spectral orb that hung in the air for a second, then it shot towards Artemis, who was not expecting it. She only stood there as it hit her in the stomach, right into her womb. She gasped but felt no pain, all she felt was a slight tingling warmth, and then nothing. She stood there for a second, confused. She impatiently walked over to her clothes and put them back on and out her bow away, her hunt finally over.

But a journey had just begun.

Artemis entered her hunter's camp while the moon was still in the sky. The hunters gathered around her, asking how the hunt went, many stroking and gawping at the pelt she had dragged with her. Usually she would tell the girls every detail of the hunt but she suddenly felt tired and queasy. She left them to add the hide to the spoils and entered the nearest tent. When she laid on her bed and fell asleep almost instantly, which was strange for a goddess, or any god, they hardly ever slept.

Artemis slept for days and weeks at a time. The hunters gathered around her worried. She felt too tired to speak to them, until one night, two week after her hunt, she awoke to find her head hunter, Zoë Nightshade, looking at her with worried eyes. Artemis felt strong enough to tell them about her hunt, excluding the part about the possible visit from Orion under the waterfall, right up to when she killed the Griffin and the strange encounter with the Stag.

"The Stag just… became like a spirit? This is… I've never heard anything like this." Zoë said to Artemis after she finished her story.

"Neither have I, but that was no normal Stag. It was a Spirit of the hunt. A physical spectre of our sacred practices. But what I don't know is what it did to me. It entered me, right here." She pointed to the part where to glowing orb had entered her belly. "I felt this, warm tingling and then, when I got back to camp I felt, tired and…" Suddenly the goddess burst into tears. Zoë looked surprised but she comforted the goddess, trying to think about what might have happened to her.

"Milady, I have I thought but it is rather, farfetched." Zoë began. Artemis looked up at her hunter with puffed up eyes, desperate for any solution. "What if this spirit of the hunt, it entered you and, bonded with you and…" She prepare herself for the maiden goddess's reaction. "And created life in your womb."

Artemis stared at Zoë, a look of absolute bewilderment on her face. She couldn't quite believe what Zoë had proposed to her. Her, baring a child, and a child of a non-human force? Well, weirder things happen to gods, but this? She was a maiden, surely this broke her oath. Thinking about it, no part of her oath said anything about baring a child. She just…

Now that she thought about it, she could sense, something inside of her, growing. Being the goddess of childbirth she could sense it. She could believe it. A child of her own. She wasn't sure how to think about it, how to feel about it. Never had she gave birth, only help give it. She felt so confused, she felt like bursting into tears again, which would be the second time that happened in the span of a few minutes. Maybe what Zoë said was true, she was baring a child. Her first child.

She couldn't help but smile at the thought. A child. A person bound to her forever, something she can mother apart from young hunters and does. She looked at Zoë, who waited her mistress's reaction with baited breath. "Zoë, gather the hunters. We have a new member to prepare for."

 _ **9 months, 4 days, 3 hours and 47mis later.**_

The camp was in tranquillity. The campfire embers had burned out, leaving only black smoke to raise gently into the sky. The wind brushed through the tents, and all the occupants lay asleep, resting after a hard day's work. It was more than days though, it had been month since they had peaceful night's sleep thanks to their goddess constant needs, but tonight could possibly be there release.

Maybe. Most likely not.

From the largest tent of then all an ear-splitting scream of pain and discomfort breached the tranquillity. Hunters poured out of their tents, some even believing the cry was that of an animal, but what it was far worse.

Zoë ran out of the large tent, barking at the group to get in the large tent. She ordered a few to get things like clean towels, some water and ambrosia nectar. The hunters rushed around, excited. Today was finally the day. The Princess of the hunt would be born. After all the nights of catching rabbits to sustain Artemis's cravings, all the sleepless nights of her bickering and whinging about how uncomfortably fat she was, and they dreaded the even remember about her mood swings. A pregnant goddess can be more frightening then a Medusa on a bad hair day.

After a long, painful night of rushing around, new cries could be heard from the large tent. The hunters gathered, waiting to be allowed in to see their new companion. Some were predicting the weight and even eye colour. Pretty much all of them were convinced it would be a girl, but they would soon find out.

Zoë finally exited the ten, whipping sweat on her brow. Witnessing a god give birth was a wonderful and rare sight, but Zoë looked as if she had seen Tartarus and then some. She gestured to the girls that they could enter. The all walked slowly to the bed where Artemis lay, holing a bundle of cloth in her arms. She seemed to have finally be able to change her age, throughout the pregnancy he looked to be in her early 30's, but now she was younger, perhaps touching 20.

"Everyone." She said with a smile. "I'd like you to meet our newest hunter." She turned the baby to face then and the hunters mouths all seemed to drop.

It was a healthy baby boy.

"Oh for fuck sake it's a male." Said one as she exchanged Drachmas with one another.


	2. Chapter 2 - By Godly Decree

Chapter 2-

"I will not hear it Artemis."

Zeus was pissed. He had long since abandoned the comfort of his throne and was pacing the throne room of Olympus, his arms flailing in incomprehensible fury. His most prized daughter, a daughter who swore beneath his throne her maidenhood had given birth to a child without so much of an 'Oh daddy good news I'm pregnant!' She couldn't look him in the eye, she had neglected to tell him but she was fearful of what he would do, he has been known to be ruthless when it comes to gods baring children he would sooner see as a threat then family.

"Father it is too late, the child is born and I love him with all my heart. You cannot take him from me, I am his mother." Artemis pleaded.

"You are a maiden, you oath prohibits you from baring a child, you have broken your promise you swore on the river Styx."

"No part of my oath swore I would be childless, just that I cannot be with a male until…"

"And that's another thing!" He roared interrupting her. "It's a miracle this child is even a demigod, for all we know this Spirit of the hunt you claimed fathered the child didn't make him a monster, or worse." The King of the Gods collapsed finally on his throne, scratching his forehead slowly.

"Father." Artemis pleaded with teary eyes as she kneeled at Zeus' feet. "Please father, I love him. I love him more than I thought I could ever love a man. He is my blood, which also makes him yours. I beg of you, he is no threat as a child." she sobbed. Zeus looked at his child beg for him to spare her forbidden child and sighed in defeat.

"Where is the child now?"

"My Hunters have him in there care."

Zeus relaxed on his throne, his eyes shutting closed gently as he rubbed his forehead, deep in thought. He sighed deeply, then beckoned her to rise. As she did he summoned his lightning bolt like he would when declaring a decree. "Very well then. As much as it pains me, and believe me it pains me, to know a maiden daughter of mine has borne a child of her blood, it is also my grandchild and I have a certain amount of mercy towards my grandchildren. At least those that can prove useful."

He continued. "The child can live. But that does not mean he shall be any different to any other half-god. You shall migrate him to the mortal world. He shall know nothing of his potential, whatever it may be, until the time when our enemies notice him."

Artemis hugged her father, which happened so rarely Zeus was taken by surprise. "Thank you father."

He pushed his Daughter away. "But the same restrictions shall be placed on you. You shall not be involved in his life unless the Fates decide otherwise. Do you swear on the river Styx to agree..?"

Artemis paused to this. The thought of leaving her only child swirled in her mind, "Father I-"

Zeus rose from his throne, towering over the young Goddess as he spoke.

"Do you swear?"

* * *

Rhonan awoke, panting his eyes darting around the room on instinct. Every night, the same dream. And every time he woke up from the dream he was out of breath like he had run mile and then some.

He wasn't ever sure why. In the dream he was watching two people argue over a baby. He wasn't even sure who they were, he didn't recognise either, and he would certainly remember two people wearing togas and one holding a lightning bolt. He racked his head. It was a dream; probably some TV show he watched years ago that stuck to his subconscious, nothing to worry about.

He got out of bed and changed into his normal Saturday work clothes. His Father, or adopted father, always told him "Working on a Saturday makes you work an appetite for Sunday." Pa always thought with his stomach. Rhonan had worked on his adopted fathers farm since he could walk, feeding the sheep and the pigs while he was still in diapers. He always had a knack for animal care, it was tilling the fields or the more heavy lifting that he didn't enjoy. He could pull his own weight, but that didn't mean he liked it.

It was the same story in school. Athletic side, he could run a marathon easy. Hurdles, easy as pie. But football and strength sports weren't his thing. And academics was worse. Atop his already hindering dyslexia and ADHD, he found he could never side still in class. If he wanted to concentrate on something he could, he was patient when he wanted to be, but he hated school. Not just because of the learning but the people.

The thing was he wasn't unpopular; on the contrary, people loved him. He was nice to everyone sure, and even some girls found him 'dreamy' and 'strong', and the adjectives would get worse from there. He wasn't sure why he was, the only reason he was muscular was because he worked on the farm when he wasn't at school, as for dreamy, with his auburn hair and unusual grey almost silver eyes, he figured it was something in the water here. But he hated the attention. He didn't like all eyes on him. He just wanted to slide through school so he could work full time on the farm to help his dad.

He was pouring himself some cereal when his dad walked in. He was in his late sixties but had obviously kept himself fit and healthy. He tried his best not to look like a typical farmer, and when he wasn't doing work on the homestead he wore suits and other 'Posh getups' as he called it, but today he wore denim overalls and a striped red shirt underneath.

"Morning Rho." He said. Henry Mobley's accent was Texan, which was his hometown before he moved here to North Dakota. He had been a solider, but had long since tried to forget his days in the army, and Rhonan had been smart enough not to ask why. "Pass up some jam would ya."

Rho took out some Quince jam as he was taking the milk out the refrigerator. "I don't know why you eat that stuff, taste like the bad side of a pig." Rho's voice took a little less of the Midwest accent then his friends because of his dad but it stood relatively unchanged by his upkeep.

"Who said the wrong side of a pig taste bad? It's were the best pork grinds come from." Henry said as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Listen son. I wanted to talk to you about a phone call I got from school about you." his tone changed into something serious. Rho gulped a mouthful of cheerios.

"What about me?" he swallowed.

Henry looked at Rho with sharp eye, until a smile finally broke his lips. "Your grades have improved over the last semester, you teacher is please with you as am I, Come here Red.' Henry grabbed Rho in a headlock and gave him an affectionate koneke. "Today you're excused from the fields. After you're done with the lambs you can have some free time."

Henry released Rho who smiled at him "Sure you don't need any help?"

"I may be old but that don't mean a few crops can make me tired. Now get it done early so you can do whatever you do nowadays."

Rho practically inhaled the rest of his breakfast and was out the door before Henry had finished spreading his jam on his toast.

* * *

Rhonan walked into the barn with a bag a feed for the baby sheep. He approached the metal gate that separated him and the flock and as he did he noticed one sheep lying down, a calf bleating at her. He opened the gate quickly and bent down over the sheep he could tell right away it was sick. He wasn't sure how he could just tell something wasn't right. He split open the bag of feed and offered some to the calf's mother, but it turned its head away.

Rho lowered his head. He felt sad, but not just sad that the sheep was sick, he felt.., He couldn't put his finger on it. He checked the sheep's limbs, looking for something that might show what was wrong. He noticed a cut along the back leg of the ewe, blood trickling from it lightly. He could tell it had been there a while. He remembered a neighbour had let his father use one of his field when theirs had been flooded by a storm. Maybe it had cut it on metal that had somehow got lose from the fence?

Rho went over to a first aid kit they had on hand, but he guessed nothing inside it was good enough to help it completely, but he thought it was worth a try. He walked back to the sheep, the lamb still crying irrepressibly. He got out a bundle of bandages and tried to look for sterilizer, but none was inside the kit. He rummaged for it to no avail and eventually he sat back in defeat.

That's when he noticed a small flower next to him. He looked at it perplexed. He could have sworn it hadn't been there a moment before. The flower had silvery petal that reflected the light that came through the barns windows, it stem was short and almost leafless except on which rested at its base. Rho looked at the plant, stunned at its sudden appearance. As he looked at it his brain seemed to spin, not violently or uncomfortable, but like it was rifling his thoughts for something, he couldn't explain it. Then, like a light bulb in his head, a name popped up.

Asphodelian. He knew this plant for some reason. He knew every detail of the plant, its lifetime, environment, and its origins. Everything. He knew this plant can but used as a sterilizer to.

'Convenient' Rho thought.

He picked the plant, and hesitated before placing it into his mouth and chewing it. He wasn't sure why he was doing it but he knew this was how he could make it useful. He then spat out the plant into the bandage and began wrapping it around the sheep's leg. He tied the bandage off and stepped back, half to see the sheep's reactions and half in shock as to what he just did out of nowhere.

The sheep continued to lay for a second, then it looked at Rho. Its eyes no longer blank but almost in… Thanks? The sheep then stood on its front legs, then its normal back leg, then tested its bad one. It didn't cry out in pain, and soon it stood on all fours, bleating at it calf and then walked off as if it wasn't even hurt.

Rho was stunned. He just healed an injured sheep that looked like it could never walk again. He shook it off. Weirder things had happened to him. He finished his job, glancing at the sheep he had helped, its teeth biting at the newly applied bandage.

"Hey sto- huh?".

It chewed threw its bandage but before Rho could call at it to stop it chewed through the wrap and it fell to the floor. Its leg had healed completely, not even a scar or even a drop of blood was left on its leg. Rho was too stunned and shocked to notice he had spilled half the feed onto the floor. He didn't care. He left quickly, trying to forget what just happened, not unless he was in his thinking place.

He ran behind the barn, toward the old water tower, that had since become redundant. He climb the rusted but still strong ladder to the top of the metal cone and sat over the ledge, staring at the sight of the sun still rising over the tree that marked the end of the homestead.

It wasn't the same as it would be at night. The moon was far more calming to him, its light casting calming silver light across his makeshift seat. He always came here when in need to think, or when strange stuff like that happened, and they happened more than you would think.

Like the time when climbed a 50ft tree without even realizing what he was climbing. He got down easy, which scared him just as much as how he got up there. Or the time that strange horse talked to him, even though his dad told him that was a dream it felt too vivid, too real.

He picked out a stone from a box he had bought up with in one day and threw a few into the pond that was in front of the barn. He thought over what happened. Strange things like that were common for him, he was a weird magnet. He sighed and gazed up at the sun. That's when he noticed the silhouette.

At first it was small, just peeking out from the top of the trees in the distance. Rho squinted to see it but it was there. At first the thought it was a bird of some sort. Then as it got closer he could have sworn it had wings but its shape didn't look quite bird like.

He leant forward almost a little too much. He wobbled and lost his balance. He tried to grab onto the metal roof but it gave no purchase. He feel, his arms failing trying to catch anything to stop his fall but it was too late. He hit the ground hard, white flashes blocking his sight for a second then returned to him. He looked up to see he shape above him. And he almost thought he hit the ground harder then he thought, because he thought he saw the head and wings of a chicken with the body of a horse. Then as it got closer he realised its wings where beating wind into his face.

This wasn't a hallucination.

The Chicken-Horse stopped his beating wings and almost crushed Rho if he hadn't rolled away at the last minute if he hadn't snapped out of his daze. He rolled up, staring is disbelief at the impossible creature. It really did have the head of a rooster, plume and wattle and the rest of the white feathers on its head. From the neck the white feathers turned to brown fur. Its front legs were strong like a stallion, but its rears were a chickens again. Its tail consisted on horse hair that waved across a plumage of feathers. To say the last, it was just about the strangest thing Rhonan had ever seen.

Until it started breathing fire.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Firebreathing Poultrey

Chapter 3-

The Chicken-Horse belched fire straight at Rhonan with a bellowing "BUKKAW!" of hot flames from inside its beak. He barely escaped with his clothes as he rolled left, his body taking control of his movements before he could even think. He backed away from the terrifying poultry as it stopped its flamethrower attack and its chicken head twitched to face him again. Another loud "BUKAW!" and more blazes rushed towards him again. He had enough sense in his mind to run as fast as he could away from the flames and luckily avoided it with just a scorched rear.

Rho ran for the house, the impossible Fire-breathing Capon behind him pursued him with heavy hooves and clumsy clawed back-feet. It didn't seem like it was well adapted to chasing its prey but it seemed too dumb to think of doing anything else. Rho didn't look back, he just ran. He found the running easy, so much easier than he expected running from a demented Chicken-horse, Horse-Chicken? He didn't care much for what it was, he just want. He was hardly out of breath, but his heart was pumping adrenaline round his body like mad.

He felt a strong gust of wind caught him from behind, and soon a stream of fire dropped from above, cutting off his path to the house. He stopped himself running, the heat singeing his face as his gaze moved up to follow the flames to the monster that hung in the air. It stopped its stream and it dived at him, its rooster head looking both bewildered and angry at the same time.

Again instinct made Rho sprint left, and somehow a leg kicked the beast away from him as it attempted to peck at his knees when it got low. He felt a half-smile cross his lips from how impressed he was with himself, but it soon left his face as the creature turned back to face him with less bewilderment and a whole lot more angry. He got back up and thought about running again but a part of him made him stay strong in the line of fire… perhaps to literally.

He felt tired of running. He looked around at the burning barn, the sheep fleeing out of gaps the blaze had made. Anger mixed with fear to create a mixture of emotions Rho didn't like. He wanted so badly to run but a strong urge made him stand his ground and fight. And he never fought, maybe that was why. All those times he walked away from conflict even though it made him fuming, all that built up to this. Him fighting one-on-one against a Killer Rooster-Stallion.

"Fine." He said, turning his eyes to the hoovering monster. "You want at me?"

The monster landed on the ground and shuffled awkwardly towards him, clucking as it did. It felt almost mocking, the way it walked towards him. This creature was mocking him. He glared at the creature. It wasn't like the hens on the farm, he liked those hens, but he hated this one. He was glaring at a chicken, and he didn't know why but he wanted nothing more than to punch it in its stupid beak.

So he did.

Before he even knew what he did the Chickorse stumbled back in surprise and confusion. Rho's fist had connected with its beak, right between its eyes. It cried out in a pathetic shriek of pain and flattened its head to the ground, stomping its back legs. The pained scream almost made Rho faulter, feel sorry for what he had just done.

Then as the Chickorse opened its bill to breathe another stream of flames right as he let his guard down a shot fired from Rho's side. A bullet punctured its body and what looked like sand burst out. The monster roared in rage and looked towards the sound.

Henry stood with an old fashioned shotgun, double-barrelled and smoking. He kept his gaze on the giant strange thing that clucked angrily. 'Can you cluck with anger?'

Henry didn't even look at Rho as he spoke. "Red I would get out of here if I were you." This was a tone Rhonan had never heard before. Serious. "I only have so many Celestial Bronze slugs for Cluckers over here." Just as he finished he fired the second slug, the Chickorse finally seeing some sense and using its large wings to beat the air and propel itself away from the line of fire, keeping giving itself some distance, but it would only be a matter of time before it attacked.

"Under the front porch, a bag." Henry explained as he cracked open the barrels and pulled two bronze coloured bullets from a pouch. "Grab it and take a train to New York. Someone will find you and guide you where you need to go." He reloaded the gun, cracking it shut and still not wavering his gaze from the creature, who did the same, squawking intently.

Rho stood stunned. Henry had never been so serious, ever. He looked like he did in the picture of him in his military uniform. Hardened, fearless. Different. Rho hesitated and tried to protest but before he could Henry held up his hand the way he would if he wasn't going to hear any argument against. Rho knew he wouldn't hear any of it, it was useless to try to argue right now as they were in a situation he would ever dream of, but Henry was taking charge, being the father to him. He knew he was right, it just pained him to run again.

He ran to the terrace, his feet jumping the small step and reaching for the wooden planks that were nailed together, finding a loose one to the side. He pried it free and found the bag. He picked it up without checking its contents and began to run back when he saw that the Chickorse had lost interest in their staring contest with Henry and launched more flames. Henry dodged with surprising speed for someone his age, and retaliate with slugs that burst through feathers.

"Run!" He called back. Rhonan watch him fight, the burning grass around the two as they fought tooth and nail, or more accurately beak and shotgun. He ran forward to try and help but Henry glanced back with a face that didn't want to be disobeyed.

Rho sprinted down the path, tears falling down his face. He ran, like always. He ran instead of fighting. Now he left his father, the person who took him from the orphanage and raised him by himself, he left him to fight a fire breathing Horster. He just ran away without as much as a thought.

Rhonan hated himself.

* * *

A rough bump shock Rho out of his slumber. The windows looked out on the moonlight fields as small houses whizzed by the speeding train. He couldn't remember most of the details of how he got on the train, or anything after running out of the homestead. He remembered getting on the train finding a ticket that was in a side pocket of the rucksack.

He pulled out the bag from under his seat, remembering not having even checking the contents since he picked it up. He unzipped it. Inside were spare clean clothes, even new boots, which he pulled out to swap for his worn and slightly charred old ones. There was a wallet; inside of which was more money than Rho had ever seen in his life, along with golden coins he had never seen before. Then at the bottom were some personal possessions of his, an iPod, which he never went without, his penknife and something he hadn't seen in years.

It was something he remembered the orphanage said he had with him when he was left at their doorstep 16 years ago. It was a ring that went around two fingers, his middle and ring fingers. It was silver and had antlers like a deer's as a charm. The antlers had finely cut vines and leaves climbing up them. He remembered asking Henry about where it came from and he had said he had asked jewellers but they said it was unique. He had put it in a draw for safety years ago, and now it was back. He put it on, mesmerized by the way the moonlight shone of the horns with a mystical glow.

He zipped the bag back up and looked asked a neighbouring passenger how far from New York they were. They said about 5 hours. He shrugged and rested his head on the window, gazing at the blurring shapes that soon turned black in dreamless sleep.

He was awoken by a conductor telling him they had arrived in Brooklyn. The station was busy as it was rush hour. Rhonan had never been to a city so big, so thriving. He never thought he'd like the city but the tall buildings and the bright light amazed him. He walked down a street he recognised not by name but from movies he watched on Fridays with Henry.

He stopped for a second as he remembered leaving his father behind him to fight the monster that attacked. It all seemed too real to pass off as a dream but it couldn't have been real. Strange stuff happened to him but a flying Chicken-Horse hybrid that could breathe fire? Impossible to science. He was knocked from his gaze by passing pedestrians, probably too busy to care about a young boy standing in the middle of the pathway.

He didn't notice at first but a hand grabbed him from behind. He turned in a panic, half expecting the chicken again, but he turned to see a girl a little younger then him with blond hair and stormy eyes. She stood in a manner similar to that of an old military buddy of Henry's, a bite edgy and seemed to be as if they felt they were being watched. Next to her stood another boy with dark skin and matted hair and goatee, which looked odd for someone his age being as if the same as the girl. He stood a little taller though, almost Rho's height, and his legs seem to look slightly off to him.

"Come with me." She told him, she had a sweet voice but a stern one, like she was used to giving orders. Rho hesitated. He didn't know this girl and for all he knew she could have tail feathers and more fire in her breathe.

"I'm pretty sure the first thing I learnt about the big city was never to trust strangers." He said, shaking her hand off but standing his ground, much to the annoyance of other pedestrians.

"We are here to help you." She looked up at him, and Rho felt an almost usual sense of calm from her eyes. She was young but had a kind of familiar to him. However, he didn't let his guard down just yet. "You're like us, being chased by monsters aren't you?" He looked at her in bafflement. How did she know? Was she the one Henry said would guide him? And the way the said "monsters". He didn't even think about the possibility of more monsters that were after him.

"How… How do I know I can trust you?" He asked her.

"We will take you somewhere safe." Said the boy. As Rho looked at him his image flickered like a fog was clearing around him. He saw long furry legs like that of a goat, and small horns sprouting from his head. "I'm Grover, I'm a _Satyr_. This is Annabeth, she's like you."

Satyr. He recognised that name all too well. Henry had told him myths from Greece about half-goat people. But myths were myths, stories told to make the imagination wonder. And this girl, Annabeth, she was like him in what way? They seemed almost opposite.

"Like me?" he muttered under his breath. She looked at him with intense eyes, and he nodded finally. He didn't fully trust them but if they were monsters, wouldn't they attack him by now? If at least they were waiting, he had time to prepare. "Okay." They looked at each other before she pulled him by the arm northwards, with the goat-boy Grover following behind.

They lead him into a taxi with a boy that was even younger than them in the driver's seat. Rho barely had enough time to ask questions before he was shoved into the back with his guides. Annabeth leant into the front and spoke to the young boy who smiled with contained excitement. "Tommy drive us to the camp." 'Camp?' Rhonan thought.

Instantly the boy pressed his foot down on the gas and the cab shot forward at ridicules speed. Rho was pressed against the backseat, as he wasn't even given the warning to use a seatbelt. He finally managed to get it on and he turned to face his guides who stared at him intently. "What?" he asked.

"How much do you know?" Annabeth asked.

"Know about what exactly?"

"Have you ever heard Greek myths?" said Grover as they speed around the corner finally out of the main city and down a quiet suburb.

"Yeah my Pa would tell me stories when I was little but they are stories, right? Unless you're telling me your goat-legs aren't just city fashion?"

"No they are pretty much real, just like the myths and the Gods and the rest of it." As the hyper cab driver steered towards Long island as Rhonan remembered, they explained to him everything. How the gods moved to America and they're kids who they had with mortals (Because apparently they can't keep it in their pants for too long) were half-god half-humans and went to a place they could be safe called Camp Half-Blood, where they were heading, because monsters would hunt them down.

"I am daughter of Athena." Annabeth explained. Rho remembered something about Athena swearing never to have kids but he guessed there was some explanation, they seemed to have one for everything Rho had experienced. All the weird things that happened to him happened to other people. He sat back in the cab, trying to process what was just explained to him.

"So, who's my God-parent? Am I Athena to, is that why you came to find me?"

Annabeth thought for a moment and looked at him like she was taking a test. "No, I don't think so. You don't have the right features or treats. Auburn hair and your eyes, I'm not quite sure but when we get to camp sometime in the future you might get claimed, but it doesn't happened a lot." Rho sat back disappointed a bit.

"Were almost there!" they heard a screech from the front as they approached a hill with a tree standing alone at the top, a Golden Jacket shining from a branch. Rho looked at it stunned.

"Is that, the Golden Fleece. Like, Jason and the Argonauts Golden Fleece."

"Yep. We had to get that a year and a half ago. The tree at the top of the hill that protects our camp was poisoned. It healed it." She trailed off and Rho decided he'd find out sooner or later, he had enough information to process. "Almost a little too much."

The cab stopped with a loud cough. Their wired chauffeur got out and ran up the hill without so much as a hello to Rho. They got out of the cab and he followed the two up the hill. At the top he looked out over the most amazing, and most homely place Rhonan had ever seen.

Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

They walked toward the Big House they called it, and by the look of it they weren't kidding. It was a big house. They walked around the edge of it towards the beachfront. They walked onto a gazebo were a middle-aged man sat in a wheelchair. "Chiron, Grover's hunch was right, we have found a new camper." She beckoned Rho forward.

The man Chiron turned to face him. He appeared to be middle aged, a thick beard unable to hide a warm smile as he reached his hand forward for Rho to take. "Hello there. It seemed although you have already been introduced into this scary new world Annabeth forgot to even ask your name first." Annabeth face went red from embarrassment and Rho just laughed lightly.

"I'm Rhonan Mobley, Or Rho for short." He shook Chiron's hand. As he did Chiron's legs seemed to magically heal and he stood up, but then he grew more legs until he towered over Rho, is torso still human but his lower body was that of a horse. A Centaur, Rho recognised one of his favourite Greek creatures. He smiled in surprise, "It's not so scary, seems I lived through it most of my life."

Chiron smiled back "So you have. Annabeth tell the other campers of our new arrival, Grover thank you." the two smiled one last time at Rho then headed toward the cabins and the fields. "Rho, let me show you around."

The tour wasn't like the ones Rho had taken when he went to a museum at school. To be fair the museum didn't have an archery range with real arrows, a sword-fighting field, cabins dedicated to the 12 Olympians which Rho probably should try and remember the names of this time least he be struck down, and a eating hall with a giant fire in the middle, which was used to dedicate some of your meal to the god of your choice. Chiron was a good teacher. He did train most of the mythical heroes after all.

"So, what do you think of it all?" Chiron finally asked as they finished their tour outside by the campfire. Rho had had a smile on his face since the archery range.

"It's-it's awesome." Rho beamed. "It's like a movie or a book, but I'm in it."

"We get that a lot." Chiron chuckled. "You'll be in the Hermes cabin for now until you're claimed. It's always a bit cramped but they will make you feel comfortable. But I've heard they had been waiting to try a new prank on the next new arrival, sleep with one eye open." He said with a wink.

"I have a question if that's okay?" Chiron raised an eyebrow but nodded. Rho clutched his rumbling stomach "When's lunch?"

* * *

Rho sat at the Hermes table and was pretty much the centre of attention for the day. People would constantly swap with others to sit next to him as each one asked the same questions and he answered that same way. "I grew up in North Dakota on a farm." "I lived with my Pa until we were attacked by a monster." "No, as I told you before, I don't know who my God-parent is." "Yes I'm single, and yes I do know Aphrodite is the goddess of love but I'm okay thanks."

Everyone seemed nice enough, especially the Hermes kids but he thought that would change during the night, right now they were luring him into false-security. The table next to them, the Ares cabin he learned, glared at him with hungry eyes but he learnt that was normal for new campers.

What he found most interesting was this fella "Percy." Apparently he was a camper who usually only came during summer but was some kind of modern day hero. They told him all of his adventures since he arrived almost 3 years ago. The thief that stole Zeus' lightning, turned out it was a Hermes kid with a grudge. The Golden Fleece, which he had to go into the Bermuda Triangle to get, that turned the tree back into a girl which was a whole other story. And most recent stopping a Titan joining a growing army that threatened the world.

That last part made Rho feel a little queasy as he ate his lasagne.

He watched as the rest of the campers go to the fire and throw their food into the flames, whispering some names Rhonan vaguely remembered as they did. He was the last on to approach the fire. He paused thinking of who to sacrifice to, and finally he scrapped his leftovers and whispered "To Hermes I guess. Thanks for the room." The fires burned a little brighter in response to which he took as a divine "You're welcome."

He then wondered around outside. Some kids from his cabin called to him asking to come with them to swap the foundation makeup in the Aphrodite cabin into chili powder but he declined with a laugh. He decided he if he was at a training camp for heroes, why not start training? Plus he needed to take his mind of Henry, who had surfaced from the back of his mind as he had eaten dinner.

He walked to the sparing-pitch and found Annabeth there. She was fighting a dummy with a knife, slicing and stabbing the corn-man with excellent agility. She stopped as she saw him approach and wave, walking over to join him. "Rho, hey! How's the campers treating you?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Great, but I think the Ares cabin would rather rip my head off before they say hello." She laughed and led him to an assortment of weapons. Swords, spears, shields, typical Greek weapons from the urns and pots he had seen photos of. He noticed in her hair was a thin streak of withered looking white hair. He didn't want to be rude and ask about it.

"Ever used a sword on the farm?" He shook his head and she gasped with sarcastic surprise. "Better to start learning now, monsters are abundant since Kronos started getting more support." She started passing him swords, which he weighed for balance until he found one he liked. They then stood on the pitch facing a dummy.

"Swords are easy to use but hard to master, at least Percy says that," Rho raised an eyebrow, there is his name again. "But our minds are hardwired for fighting. It's in our blood, so give it a few swings." He did so. He found it surprisingly easy to swoop and swipe at the lifeless target. He could feel his blood rushing a little with each swing of the bronze blade. He finished his display without even thinking about how long he had been at it. He lowered his stance and looked at Annabeth, her mouth open slightly in surprise. He shrugged and as he did the dummy fell apart into a heap of straw limbs.

"That was… Sure you didn't have swords on the farm? You're a natural." She laughed in surprise "You could almost be as good as Percy first was."

"Percy. He seems quite famous in your camp." He asked. He wasn't jealous of how popular Percy Jackson was but something inside of him seemed to twitch when people talked about him.

"He's done a lot for us, he's… Well anyway." He saw her blush slightly. "So, sword practice is not needed, what about archery?" They took a short stroll towards the archery range, it was getting darker as the sun started to dip below the trees of the forest, the days not getting much longer yet in spring. When they got there it was almost empty bare a few Apollo campers. She handed him a wooden bow and a few bronze arrows. He felt the balance of the bow. He could feel his hand steady on the wood, his fingers hooked around the string gently feeling almost, natural. Inside he felt giddy for some reason. He felt like he could shot straight, perfect every time.

He pulled an arrow onto the string, drew back the light string and fired, all with incredible speed. The arrow should have been inaccurate since he didn't even aim properly, or at last seemed to have not spent any time in doing so but he infect knew he had aimed somehow without needing time. But to his, and everyone else who was on the range surprise, the arrow hit straight into the red center, not exactly the middle but close.

He lowered the bow, his eyes wide in confusion. Without even looking at the shocked faces behind him he pulled another arrow, this time when he pulled back he stopped to aim for a second. He felt a primal instinct inside him. His breath slowed, his left eye closed to aim level at the red has he held the bow in his right hand. As he let the string go he breathed out slowly and he watch the arrow go in almost slow motion as the point struck the middle of the target.

He hung there with the bow still raised, surprise now forcing a broad smile spread across his face. He turned to see that the archery range a little more popular than before. What looked like a majority of the camp had gathered behind him without him even noticing, or looking from a distance at the commotion, all of them wore gob smacked expressions. Some of the Apollo kids, who he had heard were the best at archery, glared at him along with the Ares children, who seemed to place him on a list of personal life-long enemies. The Aphrodite girls seemed to be giving him flirting eyes even more, obviously now just impressed with his bow-skills. His fellow Hermes occupants smirked at a few of the other people who were practicing, who looked a little taken aback by the newbie showing them up on his first attempt. Annabeth approached him. "That. Was. Awesome." When she finished the audience erupted in cheers and whoops. Rho couldn't help but smile even more.

He was going to love living here.


	4. Chapter 4 - A Proposal and Moontime

Chapter 4-

That night Rho didn't get a moment to eat his dinner.

Campers from all cabins surrounded him reminiscing the events on the archery range, even some young Ares kids muttered a few words like "Amazing shot" or "Clarisse couldn't have done better." And if Clarisse was anything like the rumours he had heard, he hoped she would never find out.

The story seemed to have gone through a bad game of Chinese whispers when the other campers who hadn't been there heard it. Apparently Rho had blindfolded himself, hung himself upside down and placed an apple on a younger child's head and still hit the target dead centre. He just took it as to mean he was popular, which felt different to how he felt about being popular in regular school. Here he felt like he was somewhere he belonged, like he felt when he was on the farm. 'Okay enough thinking about that' he thought. Thinking of the farm was still something he needed to save for Moontime.

When most of the crowd had gone back to eating he was surprised to find Annabeth take a seat next to him, smiling at him as he did. She was always smiling. It was a cute smile. 'Okay, stop thinking about that too.'

"Just so you know," Rho began as she tucked into some of his Brownie which he offered her. "We also don't have bow and arrows on the farm."

She laughed a little harder than Rhonan thought was necessary for his bad joke, but he found her giggling slightly contagious as he found himself joining her. "Well it must be from your Godly-parent. Maybe, since you're handy with all weapons, maybe you're Ares." Rho couldn't help but give a panicked expression which she seemed to find hilarious.

"That's not funny." He smirked as Annabeth pointed to her beaming grin as if to say 'Then why am I laughing.' Rho felt like he had made a real friend with her, she was kind and sweet and a lot of other corny words he could think of. He tried to ignore the way his mind was constantly trying to find smart retorts to everything they said to each other as they spoke throughout dinner.

They were finally separated when a large man who had been sitting next to Chiron at the big table stood up as if to speak. Rho had been told this man was Dionysius, God of wine, who had been force to be camp councillors because he did something or other. He took a swig from his goblet of coke before he spoke to the camp.

"I have been told we have a new camper. To him, whichever face he is in the gathering, welcome. From _apparently_ me and the rest of the councillors we hope you have been welcomed warmly and enjoy your safe existence within our boundaries yada yada." He took another long drink from his cup. Rho thought if Mr. D was a god he wasn't representing them very well. "And with that out of the way enjoy your evening." And with that the tables dissolved one by one toward the offering fire and then out the doors. Rho decided who he was going to dedicate his leavings to.

He scraped the chocolate sauce and brownie bit and whispered into the flames. "To Demeter, Goddess of the harvest. Thank you for all the good crops on my father's farm. He always said you had something to do with it." The flames again flickered larger in answer.

He descended down toward the cabins, thinking if his roommates where going to prank him better get it over with, but before he reached it he was cut off by a beautiful girl, a little older then him, that he recognised from the Aphrodite table. She was wearing, and Rhonan used the term 'Wearing' loosely, a tight and very revealing low crop top and short shorts. "Well hello there sailor." She had seductive tone to her voice that seemed to echo a little bit which Rho found puzzling.

"Actually I'm a farmer-" he began.

"Yeah whatever," she interrupted. "So for most people the first night in camp is really really stressful, going into this scary world and all. And I was wondering if, well, you might need some… company, to help you through it?" She moved into the space between them, placing one hand on his chest and the other on his shoulder where she fiddled with a strand of hair that had fallen on it. She kept her blue eyes locked onto his silver ones, Rhonan felt like he couldn't force himself to look away from them if he tried.

She was good at seduction, far better than a girl he remembered from high school who fell over every time she saw him. It was another thing he couldn't understand about being him, why people thought he was so damn attractive. "Well actually I'm in Hermes cabin and I have a lot of people with me so thanks but-"

Again she cut him off, "Hermes kids are renowned snorers. No you need a peaceful night with a companion, someone for you to hold and warm you and tend to your every need." The hand she had placed on his chest moved to his butt which she pinched, making Rho jump a little in surprise.

"That's, - That's a lovely offer." He began, trying to move out of her vice-like grip, "But you know I was used to snoring back home so while that is a very… Lovely offer I think I'll have to decline." He may have never really been in a relationship, excluding that date with the falling-over girl, but he wasn't clueless, and he knew exactly what she was offering.

She looked at him with her perfect make-up and blue eyes and a seemingly cross expression. She moved away from him a little but not so much as the stop the scent of her perfume. "Fine honey. But remember my doors is always open to such things." She started to walk past him, and as she did she brushed along Rho's groan. He just stood there taking in the odd and awkward (at least for him) sensation as she walked back towards her cabin and her siblings who were all giggling. Finally Rho returned to the world after his strange experience and decided he needed a walk. A walk would be good right now.

Line break:

Rhonan thought he had finally found a spot that almost equalled his water tower. The beach he sat on looked out on crystal blue ocean, the moons rays bouncing off each wave, like it would with the leaves of the trees, except with a blue tint rather than a green flash.

There was one thing this beach had that the farm didn't. The moon seemed even bigger here, the crescent curve taking up most of the sky. Maybe it was an effect of this Mist that apparently covered the Gods world, but whatever it was it was beautiful. He skimmed stones across the waves, thinking as he always did when it was just him and the moon. He thought about his last hours on the farm, the fact he didn't even get to say goodbye to Henry, or even if he was even still alive. No, he was, Henry was incredible, he could beat that Chicken-brain with one eye closed. That made him fell a little better.

Then he thought about his day at camp. How friendly and weird everyone was. But he liked that. He liked weird, it made him feel normal. And now he knew he was a demi-god, all of the strange things now made sense. He had new friends and he was happy. Then that whole thing with Vivian, the Aphordite girl who he later found out the name of. She was attractive, and she obviously had an interest in him, be it only for sex. He had never thought about sex really, he wasn't naïve, if his porn-addicted friends from high school had anything to say about it. They told him a lot. Maybe too much, thoughts began to swim into his head, most of which contained a blond haired, bare backed women. He shook it out. 'What was that?'

Suddenly he heard a noise behind him. He turned to his surprise find Annabeth approach the sand through the trees. She stood when she noticed him sitting there, a surprised expression on her face. "What are you doing here? How did you find this place?" she asked him apprehensive to approach him any further.

"I took a walk and found it. It's nice here." He turned his gaze back to the sea. "As to what I'm doing it's kinda a private thing it do. You would find it weird."

To his surprise soon after she sat down next to him, lifting her knees up to her chest and holding them in her arms as she gazed out with him. She gave a soft laugh. "We're half gods, you can't get much weirder then that. Try me."

Rhonan thought for a second and gave in. He sighed and turned a little to face her. "Back on the farm we had a water tower. Ever since I was little I used to climb it at night, usually after I did something stupid or something horrible and embarrassing happened, and I'd look at the moon and think. Some reason or another I think more clearly at night." She was listening attentively, nodding along. She seemed to hear every word and analyse every expression he made. Maybe it was a thing for children of Athena.

After he was finished, she smiled at him. "That's not weird. It actually pretty cool." They both trailed off for a moment, staring at the ocean. Eventually she spoke again, her voice a little quiet. "This is where Percy goes sometimes. It's his beach."

Rho immediately began to sit up, realisation striking across his handsome features. "Oh God I'm sorry! I shouldn't have sat here if it's something special to you and him." He was about to stand when she grabbed his hand and looked at him sadly.

"No don't go." She said to him, her voice even quieter, like she wasn't entirely sure what she was saying. He looked down at her, her gaze avoiding him but her grip unyielding. Rho nodded and sat back down next to her, his face red as the guilt ran through him. He thought Annabeth had a thing for Percy, at least that's what most people told him. They had adventured together multiple times and Percy was apparently obvious to read.

"So, Percy." Rho suddenly realised what words were about come out of his mouth but he didn't stop them. "You and him are like… a thing right?"

It took a second for her to process what he just said, and when she did her face went red, not from embarrassment but irritation, and she broke her gaze from him. "No. No we aren't a thing." Her voice seemed to get quieter and quieter. He wasn't quite sure if something was wrong or not. She seemed adamant that she had no feelings for Percy, and for some reason he wasn't sure if that was true. But what happened next took him by surprise.

She leant over to him and kissed his lips. Rho was taken aback at first but soon he was entranced by her soft plump lips and found himself kissing her back, even moving his hand to brush her cheek gently. It was a strange and wonderful experience, it wasn't like his first kiss with that girl whose name quickly removed itself from his brain as quickly as Annabeth's kiss had been planted his lips. Then she broke away slightly and Rho almost found himself trying to pull he back but he was still in shock as to what just happened.

She looked at him with as much surprise as he felt. "I-I'm sorry I just." She stopped as she returned to her previous sitting position. "I saw you with Vivian. When she was flirting with you. When she touched your chest and you butt and your…" she trailed off as her face turned into a red blush.

"Oh." Rho suddenly wanted to smack himself. Of course she had feeling for him, he should have seen by her actions at dinner. And just saying 'Oh' could mean they would stay in this awkward sitting position for the rest of the night until they explode from embarrassment or something. "She, well, I said no." She turned to face him and he could tell she was trying to hide her pleasure at this. This time her leant in towards her, butterflies in his stomach spurring him on. This time her planted a soft kiss on her lips, and she returned it quickly, placing her arms around his neck as he moved his to her waist and her cheek again.

It was strange and thrilling, his brain no longer controlled his actions only the emotions he felt that moment kissing her. He wasn't thinking, only feeling, feeling her warm embrace and the soft breeze that made her blond locks dance across her face. He felt the moon casting down on the desire and the passion of the two.

Line break: Smut warning.

Rho felt her lean back against the sand and followed her down, now laying atop her. He rested one hand on the sand to hold his place. He felt the kiss deepen, sometimes they broke apart to breath only to then resume where they left off. He could feel the intensity build up all over his body, feeling emotions he had never felt before, lust being the majority. He felt her brush her tongue gently across his top lips, asking for entry to which he allowed, letting his tongue do the same. The sensation of their tongues stroking against the other was enough to make Annabeth moan slightly, which drove Rho crazy, making him want to make her make the noise more and more.

He could feel her try to push him to one side, and as he let her she climbed over him, their kiss still not broken. She pressed her full body against his strength, he felt her breasts against his chest, her legs wrapped around his waist. He couldn't help but feel the growth in his pants push against her, but to his surprise she moaned pleasingly. He felt her push and pull herself across the bulge, feeling her twitches and moans of pleasure as she did. This drove him over the edge, feeling the pleasure his shaft build slowly, it was enough of a tease to make Rho think Annabeth wasn't nearly having a much fun as he was.

He move his hand to the hem of her shirt and moved his hands under it and across her warm skin to her chest, where he moved the inconvenient bra to expose her breasts. He began to massage the left one and almost instantly more moans escaped her mouth. She broke the kiss to take a long intake of breath, a smile of pleasure moving across her face. He sat up enough and pulled off her shirt, throwing it away from her and resuming the kiss before Rho could even smile at the impulsive act. Sooner he felt her hand move to the bottom of his shirt and was more than happy to let her slide it off him, laying back down on the warm sand as she looked at his chest with a longing expression as he looked at her exposed breasts and resisted the urge to bite his lip in hunger.

She bent back down and resumed her grinding, this time kissing across his chest. The sensation caused Rho to respond with moans of his own as the soft lips descend down his chest and belly to his waist. He could feel her move her hand to his belt, his heart raced with his mind as to what she was about to do, but it became clear when he removed his belt and slide down his pants and boxers a little as he felt her reach a curious hand into them.

As soon as he felt a hand graze long the tip on his shaft a low grunt left his lips before he could stop it. He heard her giggle in enjoyment of his reaction and she became more confident. She wrapped her hand around his member as she slowly started to pump up and down, from base to tip. The pleasure seemed to triple as she did, as more grunts and groans left his mouth. His mind was a blur, he wasn't even thinking straight at this stage, it was only pleasure, the arching of his back and the contractions of his arms. He felt her getting faster and then slower, teasing him. He could tell Annabeth was enjoying his reaction, but Rho didn't mind, he would get her back.

After the ample amount of pleasure built up inside him he reached down and pulled her towards him, bringing her back into a kiss as he teased her breasts again. He then did the same to her as she did to his chest. Rho flipped them over again and kissed between her breasts then each in turn, hearing the hot exhales she was making with each kiss.

He moved his way to her belly then teased under nether her shorts. He felt her slight intakes of longing. Eventually he slips his hand under the shorts, and her underwear and found himself mischievously circling around her core. Her breaths increase the closer he got until he took pity and kissed her as he brushed along her clit. He sensed her back arch in sudden and incredible pleasure as her eyes opened in surprise. He started to rub it ever so gently and that seemed to do the trick, making her blush a deep red as her eyes closed again and louder moans escaped her. Eventually her mouth tried to contort a word but seemed to struggle through the satisfaction. "M-M-More." She finally managed to say and Rho smiled slyly and obeyed her wish.

He moved further into her garments and inserted his middle finger into her core. As soon as he did a loud cry of intense pleasure left her. He didn't go so far as to hurt her, but soon he slowly thrust in and out of her, each action causing louder calls of agreement. He felt her get wetter and wetter, making the sensation a lot more pleasing for him knowing she was enjoying it. Soon her cries got so loud he was surprised the camp hadn't heard them. He felt her tighten as he kissed her breasts again and soon she was trying to speak again but words would leave her lips. "I-I think I'm going to…" she didn't finished as Rho had got the message and kissed her deeply now pumping two fingers inside her as he contained her scream of release as she climaxed. The wetness covering his finger but he didn't care, the sensation of her spasms and shudders of the event made him crave for her to make him reach his own. But he didn't even need to ask.

She flipped them for a third time, this time wasting no time on teasing and going straight for his member, which was still erect. She pulled his pants and undergarments down to expose his member and then without apprehension licked the tip with her tongue. The feeling of her warm tongue brushing against is tip gave him a similar reaction to Annabeth's, his eyes stared into nothing as the pleasure spread from his waist to the fingers. His whole body feeling Annabeth's kisses and licks. She then put his shaft into the mouth, which was the sensation that built up the feeling in his groan. It built up with each motion of her head and each grunt and moan of pleasure that escaped his mouth. He felt his climax approach and he found himself trying to get his words out. Now he could see why Annabeth found it so hard.

"I feel it coming." He finally blurted out as she nodded slightly and bobbed her head faster as he felt his climax approach until he finally felt the hot cum erupted from his shaft. He felt the ropes of cum finally stop as the final ounces of built up lust and pleasure left him.

He collapsed on the beach, Annabeth on top of him, smiling at his joyous expression. She swallowed his liquid and smiled in her own enjoyment. Soon Rho felt sleep capture him and the night's events were planted deep into his mind.

That night the dreams came.


	5. Chapter 5 - Dreams and Realities

Chapter 5-

The voice of the man that haunted Rhonan's dreams echoed in the blackness of his sleep. Quiet at first but gradually got louder, the words becoming clearer. "Do you swear… Do you swear… Do you swear..." The words revolving around his mind until a new image appeared in is trance.

He was flying. Above him was a starlit sky, each twinkle had its own brightness to it, like each was a fingerprint in the sky, every single one unique. He could smell a strong scent of ozone around him, and below him was rocks. Well, they looked like rocks from his elevation. The rocks looked like they were covered in tiny snowcoats from the top then descended downwards into grey then green. Judging by how high he was in the sky, he reckoned they were mountains, but what mountains he didn't know. He couldn't see much from the height he was at, but he could see movement of some kind, a lot of movement. But without having anything to zoom down he couldn't tell exactly what it was.

Then he found himself flying past the mountains, past cities that were grey and blue specks, past forests, and found himself above a lake, and it was a big lake. The water was shaped kind of like a leg and a boot, and the colour wasn't clear blue, but had a clay like colouring, like Rho had seen happen to rivers when they were polluted. As he watched the water he noticed a fuzzy, glistening patch in its centre. The gleaming patch spread until it came of slowly like a layer being peeled away.

An island now sat in the middle of the lake, connected by a thin sliver of land. The island was a bright lush green in contrast to the arid surroundings. Again Rho could see movement on the island but nothing specific.

He looked back up to the sky, the stars still out but below it was clearly daytime. Where was he? He had never had this dream before. He then felt something behind him, a sort of sense he wasn't alone. He turned to see a ghostly figure, a man without clear facial features. His figure looked like he was draw like a dot-to-dot puzzle, his outline white and a few other lines for clothing and hair, but no colour as his body was transparent.

He seemed to point to Rho with a ghostly hand, then point to the lake, then back where he had come from the mountains, uttering no words but the message was clear. He was asking Rho to go there, to the lake. But why? He tried to speak but he couldn't, and just as quickly as the man appeared Rho was rushed into darkness again, only to land on his feet on a black platform, still nothing around him but darkness.

"I see you have finally arrived _huiús-astron_." A women's voice called behind him. Rho turned, as he did the surroundings changed. He was now in a Temple, a circler one not square or rectangular like most of the temples he knew from ancient times. There were three women in front of him, all in ancient Greek dress. One sat at an old fashioned spindle, She was young, almost a child of around 12. She continuously span a thin piece of white thread which would break every so often only to be replace by a new one of different lengths. The threads then was passed to the second women, who was slightly older, around 30's, who held the piece of thread against a tape measure, to which she used to tell the length of the yarn. She smiled at the one in her hand, which was no longer white but slightly grey. She then placed it on a pile next to the third women, who was a lot older than the other two, so old her wrinkles had wrinkles. Every so often this women would take a black thread from the pile and pull out a rather menacing pair of shears, and then snap the string then toss it away, where it would fade.

"Curious about these boy?" the old women called to him, snipping her shears menacingly, "A man just got crushed by a falling helicopter, I wonder what these shears have for you?"

"Oh don't scare the poor child Atropos." Said the middle women. "He's new to all this, and he wasn't scheduled for a heart attack just yet." She looked at him and smiled warmly.

"Atropos?" He rocked his brain thinking of the goddess of that name. "Wait just yet?"

"Oh please he's a brave boy." Said the older women Atropos.

"He's not brave yet." Said the small girl.

"Oh right. Sorry we don't entertain often, girls introduce yourselves." None of then moved from their seats but the young girl waved a free hand.

"I am Clotho!" She shouted to him, throwing a few loose stings towards the second women.

"I am Lachesis." Said the middle one. "And as you have already heard that is Atropos." Rho stood their apprehensive about the three. He knew they were goddess, but he didn't know what they were goddess's of. He looked around him. Outside the room they were surrounded by what looked like huge thrones, big enough for giants. He notice the closest one, behind the girls, was gold. He recognised it from his usual dream. They were in the throne room of the gods on Olympus, the same on from his normal dream, but they we're smaller than usual.

"You would have noticed we are in Olympus right now." Clotho spoke, still continuing her spinning. "And who we are."

"No Clotho." Atropos snapped at the girl. "He will find that who we are in…?" She was querying towards Lachesis who got out a notepad and skimmed it quickly.

"13.2 Seconds." She put the notepad down and continued her measuring. All this calculating word they spoke was giving him a sore head. He thought he has seen weird but these three women almost topped it for him.

"Think about it boy." Atropos looked at him with and old face but ageless looking eye as she snipped another black thread. "Who can deduce a man's life through a single strand of yarn? Who see all and know all about destiny, who forge it and examine it and destroy it."

Rho paused, thinking of all the stories Henry had told him. Destiny. Thread. Then it clicked.

"The Fates." He finally said. "You're the Moiroi, you control the thread of life."

"And you are on time." Lachesis said smiling. "That Father of yours did as good and I predicted teaching you. Apollo made a good choice sending one of his son's to look after you."

"Henry is a demi-god?" Rho asked quickly.

"Oh… I have said too much." Lachesis covered her mouth gently before taking another thread. "We didn't bring you here to discuss close family."

"Why am I here? The Fates never talk to mortals, they only watch and wait for their string to be cut."

"Well times are changing." Clotho spoke bouncing a little on her stool. "As is your destiny."

Rho was startled. "What?"

"Clotho shush now." Lachesis spoke harshly and Clotho sulked quietly. "We bought you here child because something is happening that hasn't happened in eons. And eons is a long time." Rho found a chair appear in front of him and he sat down, even though his legs didn't ache.

"You, child, are special." Atropos spoke, looking at him as she snipped a few strands of life like it was a chore. "The last one like you was Theseus, and he had a very interweaving thread of life didn't he."

"I swear when I saw that Minotaur in that little clump I knew I would be proud of that hero." Clotho blurted out. 'Hero?' Rho thought.

"And that whole thing with Minos's daughter, was that a saucy affair." Lachesis giggled.

"Very saucy." The other two agreed.

Rho turned in his chair to find a series of red clay pots balanced along a display shelf. Each one depicted a man fighting a big monster or gifting something to someone else, usually a royal looking man or a beautiful women. The pots were painted red, like the artists of ancient Greece would do, and the people were either white or black, and around the edge smaller events of the story they told were painted on. He even recognised a few of them.

Theseus, depicted black like the old drawings on ancient urns Rho had seen in pictures, was on the end of the line to the right, where he was fighting a Minotaur in the Labyrinth, but as he looked at the pot the image change to the same Theseus, holding a shroud of some sort between him and an old man with a boar to his side. The image changed again, Theseus leaning against a rock on a gloomy and dead scene, another man, who looked like another man from a pot further down, reached down trying to grab Theseus.

"That's Hercules isn't it? Saving Theseus from the outskirts of Tartarus." Rhonan remember Henry telling him this particularly harrowing story when he was 8.

"Greek version boy, Heracles." Atropos sighed. "And before you ask yes technically Heracles's myth was set later then Theseus' but since he became a God his pot was never finished, since he never died a mortal, his myth never ends."

'Myth?'

Rho followed the display case, passing some broken or worn pots until he found one, until he reach on at the bottom of the display. The picture depicted was a man and a black haired women with blue eyes, both holding bows running towards mountains in the distance. They were holding hands. The picture changed and Rho gasped slightly, as a similar looking half-rooster half-horse monster was portrayed being slain by the same man in the previous picture. The man's features where clearer, his hair colours in the shade of red artists used in the ancient times, and his eyes weren't white like the other pictures, but had a silver hue.

"The Monster was slain?"

"Oh woopsy." Clotho waved her hand a curtains drew across the display, hiding the half-finished pots. "Forget you saw that."

"So." Rho turned to the three, thinking his life just got a whole lot more complex. Atropos spoke to him, her voice rickety but wise. "Soon the start of your journey will begin. And the choices you make, they are important. Even we cannot predicted you a clear future."

"To put it plainly, we have no idea what will happen to you." Clotho said. "For all we know you'll be killed fighting snake face."

"Snake face?" Rho asked.

"Clotho!" Lechesis snapped. "We cannot tell a mortal there future."

"Not even a liitle? Not even about-"

Atropos shot Clotho a threatening look and the girl backed down quickly.

"Rho." Lechesis gave him a stern look. "You must prepare. We have seen a future we fear will come to fruition, a future even the greatest hero of our age cannot fight against. You, however, can stop it. Now you must go, I believe you mother is waiting for you."

Rho almost jumped from his chair. "My mother?"

"Don't run out of time." Clotho giggled as Rho was launched back into blackness.

Line Break:

Rhonan awoke, his eyes frantically looking around expecting to find Atropos and her shears snipping towards him, but he was alone. Annabeth wasn't even there, which made is heart sag a little. He looked down to find his shirt missing, discarded to his left, and his pants off slightly. Then memories of the night before flowed into his brain, every emotion and feeling surged back. The night they spent together. He put his shirt and pants back on and splashed the fresh salt water on his face. He probably just ruined his friendship with her, and probably her relationship with Percy. He let his emotions and impulses take over. 'Never again', he promised himself.

He made his way back through the forest back to camp, figuring it was around breakfast time now. He didn't feel very hungry. The voyage he had taken in during the dream felt all too real, and if it was real, The Moiroi and everything they said… he didn't want to think about it.

And Henry. If what Lachesis revealed about Henry begin son of Apollo that meant he knew this whole time that Rho was also a demi-god. Why hadn't he told him? Why hadn't he taken him to camp before? It just left more questions than it answered. And they said he was special, how? And those last words bye Clotho. "Don't run out of time…" what did that mean. He felt sick to his stomach with the amount of confusion he felt.

He broke the tree line and was back at camp. He found a lot of the Hermes cabin, some still in pyjamas, walking toward the dining hall. Some noticed him walk toward then and waved, shouting, asking him where he had been the whole night. He just told them he had gone for a walk and found a comfortable place and fell asleep. They just laughed at him and sat down for breakfast. He thanked the Gods that they didn't press him further. He felt weird thanking a plural "gods" but he decided he will get used to it.

He didn't eat much of his Cheerios before he noticed Annabeth walk through the entrance, and without even glancing in his direction sat down at the Athena table. He did feel too guiltily though as she seemed to have an uncontrollable smile on her face, and eventually he caught her eye and she smiled once. They exchanged unspoken messages which clearly meant 'Talk about it later.'

He finished as much of his meal as he could, getting up and scraping the few o's left him his bowl into the fire. "Um, to Poseidon for keeping the water at low tide. Thanks for, not drowning me this morning." He walked out of the dining hall calm, heading around in no particular direction.

He noticed Annabeth heading away from the congregation of people who headed towards usually training areas or workshops and behind the Hermes cabin. Making sure no one saw him he followed her, and found her standing against the wall waiting for him, a small smile on her face she saw him. She was the first to speak.

"Hey."

"Hey back."

"So look about last night." 'Oh god here we go.' Rho shuffled on his feet a little bit. He liked Annabeth, she was smart and attractive yeah but he didn't have those kind of feelings for her. Yesterday was just a release of all the emotions and confusion he felt.

"Last night was something I have never done before. It was-It was great, I mean never have I felt like… I think we both just gave into the emotions of the night." She said slowly like she was trying to carefully pick each word. "It was a… Not a mistake it was…" She placed a hand on her head like she was thinking deeply for an appropriate word. Rho saved her the trouble.

"A thing. Just a thing between friends who don't want to have their new friendship ruined right?"

"Yes!" she said quickly nodding. "Yes a thing, I mean I just met you yesterday and that whole thing on the beach was just a mixture of emotion." She sighed in relief, she had been rather talking quickly and looked like she needed a breather. "Friends?"

"Friends." Rho answered and hit her arm affectionately, to which she returned a little harder. "I think the archery range is free, care for a lesson?"

She laughed a little. "You've been here a day and you think you can teach me something?" They walked off towards the armoury, and out of the corner of his eye Rho caught Vivian looking at him. He turned and saw her smile slyly and seductively at him before sashaying away, putting lot of effort into swaying her hips. Rho forced himself to stop staring and continued to walk with Annabeth.

Line Break:

The day had passed quickly. Rho had challenged a few Apollo kids to an archery contest, and the few who actually accepted lost thoroughly. When he was holding the bow it was like his whole body was working together as one unit, all working together to fire the arrow dead centre, every time with success. Sometimes he would get to cocky and try and do it without looking, which would hit the target but not dead centre. He decided after a while he needed to work on being modest about it, but as long as he was enjoying himself he counted it as a victory.

He and Annabeth even had a little spar on the sword fighting pitch. She had come out victories, but Rho thought he was getting better. He was quick, but sometimes misjudged Annabeth's precision, and got a few minor cuts because of it. A lot of people at dinner said they looked forward to him fighting Percy. He just laughed and would continue eating whatever he fancied eating that day, which was apple pie at the moment, to try and hide his nervous look.

Rho had been watching the moon as he ate. It was a clear sky and the moon was almost new, only a thin collar of silver light casting down from it. He didn't like new moon, it meant his old friend was hidden away, and he had no one to talk to, share everything with. He figured for a demi-god being friends' with the moon wasn't such weird thing. He thought for a second, who was god of the moon? He remembered a story Henry told him of a sun and moon god, who pulled them around the earth on chariots.

"What's the name of the moon god?" he said as he noticed Annabeth take the seat next to him like she had done towards the end of a meal recently.

"Moon god?" She asked as she bit her lip like she would when she was thinking. "Well it used to be Selene, but she passed on her powers to Artemis a long time ago."

"Artemis huh…" Rho sustained his gaze at the moon, its silver casts draping over the open air hall around him. He was the first to stand up and approach the sacrifice fire. Some people noticed his early leaving and just ignored it. He scrapped the last piece of his apple pie into the waiting fire, looking at the mystical lunar light as he spoke.

"For Artemis, for all the times I spent talking to you, and even though you never talked back, I felt like you understood every word. Thank you." Nothing happened for a second, the fire didn't even burn a little brighter than usual. Then he heard a gasp from behind him as a voice spoke in his head.

"Thank you, my child." The women in his mind spoke.

He turned to see half the camp on their feet, even Dionysius hand put down his cup and had a startled expression on his face like the rest of the dining hall. Rho felt his body flood with energy, white and pure. He looked at his jeans which were gone, his jacket to, replaced by white knee-length robes and were soft and worn yet roomy. He felt leaves in his hair, his hand following then in an almost complete circle. A silver-leafed Laurel. Then he noticed the bright light above him.

He looked up to see a symbol of sorts above him. In the centre there was a bow and arrow crossed in an X. They were encased by what looked like horns, antlers of a deer, with the same indents and design as his ring, which he was still wearing across his two fingers. In the background a full bright silver moon cast the light outwards from Rho like he was some amazing prize in a game show.

The symbol hung over Rhonan's head, and the hall around his was silent. Then a few whispers were heard. "I've not seen a claim like that before." "A bow, isn't that the symbol of Apollo?" "Apollo is the sun, not a moon." "No, He can't be, she's a maiden she doesn't have children." "But the deer antlers, a deer is her sacred animal that means it has to be…"

Rho felt panic settle into his body. He had no idea what was going on, he looked at Annabeth for help but she just stared at him and the symbol with an amazed expression. He notice Chiron standing in the middle of the hall now, his face with a confused but serious expression.

The symbol vanished. Silence covered the hall. No one spoke, no one cheered. Just quiet as he stood there in ridiculous clothes and a completely baffled expression. An Ares kid stood up on the bench and pointed at Rho. "Impossible! She swore a maiden's oath. She swore never to have kids, it's a trick!"

"Hush!" Chiron stopped his hoof and the kid sat back down frightened. He turned back to face Rho "He has been claimed." He spoke with loud authority. "Rhonan, Son of Artemis."


	6. Chapter 6 - New Stuff and Shiny Things

Chapter 6-

Rho tried to ignore the crowd as he was escorted out of the mess hall by Chiron. The camper stared and kept asking him questions he didn't hear. Too much was rushing into his mind. Son of Artemis? It was as the Ares kid said, she was a maiden so swore never to have children. Then again, Annabeth was a child of Athena, who was also a maiden, maybe it wasn't so crazy. Certainly unheard of.

Looks like he was the centre of attention again.

Chiron had sat him down in the Big House without Rho even noticing they had arrived. He didn't speak, but paced in front of him stroking his beard. Rho was still wearing the ridiculous hunting outfit his newly found mother had given him. So far she wasn't helping him much. Eventually Mr D. walked into the room and was first to speak.

"When Zeus hears about this he will go berserk! How could Artemis-"

"He knows…" Chiron interrupted

"How do you know?" Mr D. acted a lot more serious then Rho had expected, he actually looked like he was a real god.

Chiron ignored Dionysius's question and turned to Rhonan, who still had a pale face. He spoke calmly. "Tell me everything. When you left your home, why, anything important."

So Rhonan told him. He told him a few things about his childhood, even his recurring dream which Chiron took with a great amount of understanding. Then came to the part where the Chicken-Horse hybrid attacked him.

"Half rooster half horse, that sounds like Hippalectryon, but your decryption doesn't match that monster. Plus one hasn't been seen in… well they weren't the most difficult to defeat, hence they were mostly forgotten."

Rho continued his story, how the Hippalectryon thing had burnt down his farm and how Henry fought it to let him escape. Then his finished with him arriving at camp.

"And since you came here, have you had any interesting experiences?"

"Ha," Mr D. chuckled "He's had a few... Encounters." Rho gave him a confused look. "When your sister is the goddess of love, you hear a few rumours."

"I did not ask him questions about his love life." Dionysus looked bored and look a seat on a nearby chair.

"Well." Rho started. "I did have a dream last night."

He told the story of his journey in the sky, leaving out the part about the Dot-to-dot figure. He wasn't sure why but something told him not to mention him. Then he told Chiron about the Fates visit, and he seemed very interested in this.

"The Fates visited you in your dream?" Chiron paced more around the large room. "That's… very interesting. And you say they said your destiny was special. That even they could not predict it?"

"Yes. They seemed to compare me to Theseus a lot."

Chiron nodded. "Well Rho, you've been through a lot today. I suggest you get some sleep. The Hunters usually use it but I guess the Artemis cabin is yours to use."

"Wait, that's it?" Rho said standing up and holding his arms open as if to except any explanation to what was happening to him. "You aren't going to explain to me how I came into existence? Haven't there been children of Artemis before?"

Chiron opened the door to leave, and just as he was going out he turned to Rho, with a small smile on his face.

"No." and with that he left.

* * *

Rho left across the grass towards his new cabin. He had to change out of his ridiculous clothes. People watched him walk across the camp, whispering in small groups even pointing others in his direction. Out of frustration he picked the laurel out of his hair and threw it to the floor, eventually reaching the Artemis cabin and slamming the door.

He leant against the wall that separated him and the rest of the camp and slumped down it. He breathed deeply, trying to get the embarrassment out of his system. He couldn't have been the only one to have sure an embarrassing Claim, I mean he heard stories of some Aphrodite boys that looked like they had been slapped in the face by a handful of makeup. That made him feel a little better.

Rhonan finally stood up to take a look at his surroundings. That cabin looked like a tent with a high canvas ceiling and a bunch hammocks that strung up from the roof with sleeping bags inside. The cabin was for the Hunters of Artemis, so was built for quantity not quality, but they looked a down sight more comfortable then the many bunked up bed in Hermes. His stuff was in in a neat pile by a large hammock next to a white flamed fire in the centre of the cabin. It was warm, and the air smell like a forest. He breathed in the scent, which made his insides fell cosy.

He opened his pack and found his usual clothes inside. He changed out of his white sheet and into a white Camp Half-Blood tee-shirt and black trousers. He thought he was finished, but when he turned to his new bed he found a white, leather textured sleeveless jacket laying on it. He turned around, confused that no one had entered the room to leave it.

He cautiously picked it up, feeling the leather in his hands and the soft cotton inside. Warm and flexible. It couldn't hurt right? He pulled it on and found it a perfect fit. He turned to a small waterfall feature in the corner where he looked at his rippling reflection. He noticed as he looked at the back of the jacket it had the antler symbol on the back. He smiled slightly, he liked this gift.

A knock at his door caught him by surprise and he jumped a little. He regained his composure and walked over to it and opened it. Annabeth stood in the doorway, that small smile spread over her lips. "Hey-Whoa. You look…" She faltered, Rho raised an eyebrow that bought her back on earth. "Oh can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." He let her walk. She took in her surroundings with a slightly gawping expression. Eventually she found a low hanging hammock and sat down. He eventually broke the silence by asking something he was desperate to know. "The laurels didn't look to stupid did they?"

She giggled a little and shook her head, which made Rho breath out the air he had been holding in. "It really complimented your skirt."

Rho tried not to laugh and tried to keep serious. "I'm in big trouble right? I mean God wise, I think Zeus already thought I should have been taken care of when I was born, and now I've been claimed?"

"Zeus won't kill you." Annabeth reassured, pulling him next to her on the hammock. "I guess it's sort of like how children of Athena are born. Instead of being born from thought, maybe you were born from a tree or something."

"That's not really helpful." He said, but he did feel a little better. "I don't really know what this means, what being a son of Artemis means."

"Maybe it doesn't mean anything." She explained to him. "Maybe it means you're just one of a kind, which you are." She smiled sweetly, nudging herself a little closer to him.

Rho felt his stomach turn a similar direction to how it had the night before. Annabeth kept looking over him, over his chest his arms, even his waist, biting her lips a little as she did. He watched her to, finding his eyes draw to her neck, her chest. He felt his head move closer to hers, her eyes closed when his did and they inched their lips closer to each other's.

Then the door knocked again.

Rho jumped up a little again and he looked at Annabeth who had a slightly annoyed look on her face. He put up one finger to her and walked to the door and opened it.

'Oh fuck' he thought.

Vivian stood in the doorway, the small light from the moon illuminating her outfit, or lack of. She was wearing a black long coat, but it was opened at the front so only Rho could see her real get-up, a garish pink lacy bra that barely covered her breasts. The matching panties she wore would have been see-through if it weren't for it being night, and her fishnet stockings wrapped all the way up her long legs.

"Oh Hello there." She said with a vain attempt at surprise. "I just thought that after tonight, you might be looking for that company we talked about." She placed one hand on his shoulder lightly while the other teased around his hips and waistband. Her voice was full of her charm speak, but Rho didn't fell it as compelling as her last attempt.

Rho didn't feel very affected by her vain attempt as fucking him. Frankly, he found her annoying. He took a step away from her. "Look Vivian, as nice as that is, I have my own company." He gestured his hand to Annabeth, who was already walking towards the door. She peeked out from behind Rho and waved at the red faced Vivian.

"Sorry, jobs taken, bye." And Annabeth slammed the door on Vivian who looked like she might burst a blood-vessel on her head. The door closed and the two inside the cabin burst into laughter, eventually falling back onto the bed they had been on.

Eventually they stopped laughing as Annabeth rolled on top of him, smiling and biting her lip again. Rho felt her stroking along the same place as Vivian, but this time he enjoyed the sensation. Finally he gave into the teasing and kissed her, pulling her into a passionate battle of the tongue. Each time he rubbed his against hers or along the roof of her mouth the enticing moans would escape her. Eventually they broke away, Rho gently gliding his finger over her exposed belly.

"So, that's our just friend's thing out the window." He joked.

"Well." She began as he pulled off her shirt unexpectedly, revealing her exposed, perky breasts. She chose a good day to not wear a bra. "Friends can still have fun, right?" He just smiled and pulled her back down into the kiss.

Rho let her explore the area of his mouth while he explored her breasts. Massaging both while she fought the urge to break the kiss to let out a loud moan. He hopped the cabins were sound proof. He felt his felt his growing erection bulge in his pant and push against her waist, and felt her smile and reach down and brush a mischievous hand over it, sending a wave of pleasure and lust over his body. She eventually moved her hand to his jacket and the bottom of his shirt, and was more than happy to let her slide his jacket and his shirt.

He kissed across her chest, letting her get most of the pleasure at the start, hoping he could get something better at the end. He focused on her neck with his lips but moved his hand down to her shorts, slipping then inside without protest from her. He teased around her waist first until her ever increasing rapid breaths let out a loud moan of longing. He stayed above her panties but slowly got lower and lower until he reached the top of her pussy. He heard her sharp intake of breath and quickly moved to her lips to make her hold on to her moans playfully.

He rubbed her clit and felt her arching back, her hands moving down his body to his pant, loosening the zip and sliding then down all in one movement. The smile that moved to his lips changed into open groan as without hesitation she dived under his boxers and stroked his hard member. Rho failed to hold back his moans, breaking the kiss away so he could groan as she stroked his cock and she moaned at his gentle rubbing of her clit.

Eventually the tow gave up with endless teasing. Annabeth was the first to give into her longing and wrapped her hand completely over his shaft, increasing the speed of her shaking, driving him wild with desire. He moved his hand to her entrance, and gave up with being gentle, and thrust two pleasure-filled scream inducing fingers into her almost dripping wet pussy. She opened her eyes wide as she cried with increasing pleasures of "Yes, Yes fuck…"

The only gave Rho more fuel to pump faster, causing her to do the same. He felt his orgasm approach, and he felt her tighten around his fingers signalling her approaching climax as well. Soon the pleasure drove them both over the edge, her climax coming first. Her final yells of unimaginable pleasure filled the cabin with her orgasm. Rho felt her juices cover his fingers and flood the pleasure into him, making him cum just as she finished, letting out his own yell of final culmination, his cum covering her hand, which she licked seductively, enjoying the taste.

Annabeth collapsed onto him, her breath heavy and fast, matching his own. She finally looked at him, her pupils dilated from the chemical high. She kissed him passionately. Finally resting next to him comfortably on the hammock, which swayed from the actions of the two.

Rho looked at her as exhaustion swept her into sleep. He didn't think what they had just done would affect their friendship. It was a… Friends with benefits thing he figured. Sure she was hot and incredible at whatever they were doing, but they wouldn't last as a couple. Especially if Percy found out.

He figured what happens, happens; and after the day he had, he was glad of the company, and the pleasure.

Soon sleep over came him to, drifting into a very short slumber.

* * *

It was the scream that bought Rho out of his slumber slightly, then it was the loud booming sound that made him jump up in the hammock. He looked to Annabeth, who was still lying next to him, slightly rising from her sleep to.

"What's happening?" she asked still half asleep.

"I don't know…" Rho said, standing up quickly and only having time to adjust his pants and grab his new jacket and passing Annabeth her top back. "Stay here, I'll look." He walked to the door and opened it. That's when his face dropped.

It was the middle of the night, and a fire was loose in the forest around camp. Nymphs and Satyr's ran away from the inferno as campers with water buckets and weapons ran towards it. Some issued orders for campers to secure cabins, wake up more hands. Above the tree tops a flying figure swooped down into the canopy and then back up, breathing fire and eliminating its face.

The Hippaletyron was back.

Panic and dread rooted him to the spot. It came back for him, he knew it. It had killed Henry and had come to finish him off. Seeing the sight of the monster that tore him away from his life, his friends, Henry. He couldn't fight it, he had to run. No, running would mean people would be in danger. He was so conflicted, he wasn't sure what to do.

Then he saw the Hippaletyron swoop down and hit an approaching camp, launching them off their feet. At that moment Rho didn't care about whether he could or couldn't fight. That monster had pissed him off to much. He ran towards the fallen camper, dodging fleeing creatures and campers who stood shocked by the sudden attack. He heard running next to him and turned to see Annabeth, thankfully back in her clothes, sprinting with him.

"How did it get in? I thought the border was protected?" He called to her. She didn't answer but her eyes told him she didn't even know. Soon he was upon the unconscious camper, a Demeter girl who didn't look like she was combat ready, looking around 12. He picked up the bronze sword that lay next to her and stood up. The Hippalectyron had landed a few yards away, squawking its chicken head stupidly like it wasn't even sure what it was aware it was attacking the camp in the middle of the night.

Annabeth reached for her knife but Rho put his hand on her arm. Something told him this was his fight. She grabbed the fallen camper and carried her back to camp, leaving Rho alone with just a jacket, trousers, and a sword. A fair fight when going against a fire breathing monster.

The monster faced him, its black eyes glaring into his. He wasn't even sure what to do, he hasn't even been in a real fight. But if this was going to be his first, he would make sure this monster dies quickly. No, slowly, and painfully.

The first stream of fire should have killed him since he was in his own little world, but somehow his body moved itself away from the flames and roll towards its front legs and slice at the rubber-like skin, cutting a large gash making it shriek in anger. Rho would have been caught in complete surprise at his movement but decided now wasn't the time. He bought himself back up, trying to stay behind the creature so as not to be attacked by blazes. He took the sword in two hands and attacked the creature before it could turn.

He tried to swipe the wings on its body, but the sword couldn't get through the mass of feathers, which seemed to be made of titanium. He tried to keep on the move but the creature caught him with a clawed foot which cut his exposed chest, but his jacket caught most of the blow and didn't rip. 'Useful' he thought. But as he rose back up from the blow the open beak of the monster was in front of him, fire rising in its throat. Rho bucked under the blast of flames, looking up to see the dangling wattle, the same as a normal Rooster would have. Without thinking, having no time to waste watching the thing dangle in front of his eyes, he swung his sword and cut right through it.

Sand bleed from the severed wattle and the creature stopped its flame-thrower. First it just stood still, the sand slowly clotting up. Then it kicked Rho away, where he dropped his sword as he tumbled to the ground, coughing from his winded lungs. He pushed himself up to his knees, looking up to see the Hippalectyron open its beak again and try to breathe another breath of flame. But as it yelled its stupid and deadly "BAKAW!" nothing happened. It closed its beak and twitched its head sideways in confusion. Rho crouched there in disbelief.

"Really? Your wattle controls your fire. How does that make sense?"

It cried out angrily and charged at him. Rhonan rolled left and stood back up. He stood in the moonlight, feeling the light against his skin. He felt more his strength return. The moonlight, which made sense, his mother was goddess of the moon, of course he would feel stronger in it. She was also good with a bow, he could do with a bow right now.

He felt a warmth spread over his hand, the Hippalectyron was still trying to breathe fire again and getting angrier with each failure while battling more campers which had surrounded it after putting out the fire. Rho lift up his hand to find the warmth coming from the ring he still hand on his right hand glowing slightly. He looked at it closer and found a symbol burn on the side of it.

 **ρ**

His brain didn't read it as p, it was Rho, the Greek letter, and his name coincidently. He rubbed his thumb against it and the ring vibrated and burned slightly but not painfully. Suddenly the ring flashed and mechanical folds that coiled and locked together until a silver white bow was in his hands. He examined the beauty of it, the design of the silver vines was the same as the ring, climbing up and down the wooden frame. He balanced the bow, it was perfect. He almost burst out laughing from disbelief. All this time it had been a deadly weapon. He felt something grip around his back, just above his hip. He reached around and fund a quiver that had appeared from nowhere, hanging sideways across his tailbone so as to make for quick reloads on the bow.

"Well that's fucking convenient." He said aloud.

The Hippalectyron had turned its attention from the campers who didn't seem to have done much damage to it, and charged at Rho again. But Rho was quick, with the bow he was in his element. He pulled a bronze arrow from the quiver and took aim, quicker than he had ever practiced since arriving, and fired the arrow straight into the monsters eye.

The creature's momentum when the arrow hit it the monster lost its balance and tumbled over, skidding passed Rho who casually stepped back. He pulled another arrow into the string, lavishing the feeling of the arrow breaking apart from its hold, attaching to the string and firing into the folds of the feathers, where dust spilled from the resulting puncture. It squawked in more rage but Rho had already began to walk towards it, firing one endless supply of arrows after the next with each step. Dust covered the ground as each wound made the Hippalectyron cry out. Rho didn't care, the monster had hurt enough people to deserve a death.

It gave one final attempt at slashing Rho with its talons, jumping up and trying to crush him in the process but Rho felt his new found heightened instincts pull out and arrow and thrust it into its belly with his bare hand, where the feathers turned to fur. The Hippalectyron fell to the floor, helpless as Rho pulled out another arrow, spinning it in his hands effortlessly and thrusting it into its chicken head. The monster went silent, then burst into dust, melting away into the air and the ground.

It took a second for Rho to register what he had just accomplished. He held the arrow in the place the monsters head had been, his eyes looking at it in incredulity. He had fought and killed the monster, even better, he did it with a good degree of style. He stood up, the bow still in his hand. He looked at it, thinking how he was going to put it away. Just as he thought of it the bow retracted back into his ring. He flexed his hand which was now empty of the bow, the palm of his other hand covered dripping with dust and blood from small cuts. The blood made his stomach turn slightly in discomfort.

A hand touched his shoulder and he jumped slightly to see Annabeth, the rest of the campers looking at him the same way they had the day he first tried archery. "Rho, you okay?" she finally asked.

"Yeah." He said, his hands shaking slightly from the adrenaline. "That was… Interesting."

"Honestly." She said with a soft voice. "That was fucking incredible."


	7. Chapter 7 - Playing Games & Off Questing

Chapter 7-

The events of the night before was the main cause for the celebration during breakfast.

Campers from every cabin surrounded Rho as he told his first person account of his fight with the Hippalyctron, even some Ares cabin mates listened avidly at his tale. He was still unsure exactly how he had done it. From what Annabeth had told him when they got back to his cabin, it had been an intense and fast fight.

Apart from Rho's fight with the Chickorse, as everyone started to call it, another talk circulated the camp. How did the Hippalyctron get in? The Golden Fleece that hung on the pine tree of a daughter of Zeus, Thessa or something, should have made the border impenetrable again. This was something that caused a lot of worry, and was probably the main reason why Chiron wasn't at breakfast.

Rhonan was tired of recounting his story and decided he needed to practice, get his head clear to think. He left the table and was intending to go to the archery range to get to know his bow Aspasia, which meant "Welcomed embraced." Which he found fitting, but he found himself shadowed by admiring campers. He had half a mind to tell then to piss off and leave him alone, but Henry had taught him better then to be rude. He calmly told them he wanted to practice in private, and with many groans they left.

He walked onto the thankfully quiet archery range. He looked at his ring, noticed the carved **ρ** and pressed it. Immediately the bow formed in his hand and he quiver appeared on his back. He couldn't help but smile at his bow, the perfect balance and lightweight. He pulled an arrow and attached it to the strong bowstring, pulling it and feeling it respond to his every move to perfect effect. He fired the arrow and the point hit dead centre quicker than a blink. The bow must be enchanted to have all kinds of perks then.

As he hit the target dead centre every time he thought about the question at hand. How did the border get breached? He had only been here a few days but he was confident the camp was protected very well. Maybe they missed a spot? No, the Hippalyctron wasn't smart enough to know the difference between its head and tail, let alone find a breach in the border. Maybe someone let it in, or maybe someone from the outside found the entrance?

He stopped his practice for a second and sighed. What was he going to do? The Fates had told him his journey would soon begin, but what did that mean? What was the next disaster in his life?

He pulled arrow after arrow out of his quiver, which seemed to be not only to be endless but also enchanted so that the arrows never fell out unless Rho pulled one out. Overall this was the best gift he had ever gotten.

"Like your gift?"

Rho turned, startled, his bow raised and an arrow ready to find a young looking man, late 20's or so with sandy hair, a bright cocky smile, and outdoorsy good looks. He smiled with almost blinding brightness at Rho who still had his bow drawn. The man wore a white, sleeveless T-shirt, blue jeans, and loafers. He approached Rho calmly for a man with an arrow pointed at his head, but Rho could guess why he wasn't afraid, he was obviously a god.

"The Infinity Quiver was my idea." He continued as Rho lowered his bow. "I hate when I run out of arrows, would have been an issue during the siege of Troy."

Siege at Troy? A god who uses arrows. Rho knew who this was.

"Apollo, right?"

"That's Uncle Apollo to you, nephew of mine." Apollo ran and pulled Rho into a hug which caught him of guard he forgot about his bow, which slipped back into it ring form. He finally let go of Rho who could feel air return to his lungs. "I've never had a true nephew before! This is amazing! I haven't seen you since you were this small. Your mother was a real pain when she was pregnant with you! Oh holy Zeus the cravings that woman had."

"Erm…" Rho wasn't sure how to interact with his newly found divine uncle.

"And might I say, you have my good looks." He punched Rho on the shoulder with a little too much affection. "And from what I hear, you've been using it to great effect. Athena would have been furious but don't worry, I made sure Aphrodite would make it a secret."

"Wait… Huh?"

"I knew my sister's son would turn out to be a fine man. And my son did a very good job looking after you. Henry was one of my finest son's." He smiled and Rho looked up at him hopefully.

"So he's alive?!" Apollo was a god surely he would know if his own son was alive or not.

However, the god's face sunk. He rubbed his chin with his hand and sighed. "I am afraid that I do not know my boy. If Hades was so compliant right now, I would but… I cannot see or feel my son's presence anywhere." Rho sagged slightly. It was hard to accept his father, or cousin now he thought about it, but he decided to see Henry as a father, could be dead or at the best missing. Apollo smiled again and looked at Rho. "He is strong and wise, do not lose faith."

Rho looked up at his uncle and nodded. "I believe he'll be okay."

"Oh my boy there is so much I wish to discuss with you. But I'm afraid I am the God of Prophecy and not fate." Rho was about to ask what he meant but Apollo cut him off. "You wish to know what to do next right? Well my boy, I shall tell you where your journey will take you next."

"Really?" Rho paused for a second, suspicious. "Wait, you're a god, it's never that easy."

"Right you are, Nephew." Apollo clapped his hand together and the archery range changed. 3 Targets of all shapes and sized appeared down it, one moving up and down and side to side, another was human shaped and had bows of their own, loaded and ready, and the closest one looked plain enough.

"I propose a little competition. I was the first to win in the first Olympic Games after all. As you can see, a range of targets are down the range. Hit them all, and I tell you where to go. I swear upon the river Styx" Thunder sounded over Rho's head, even though it was a cloudless day.

Rho looked at all the targets down the range, it sounded simple enough, 3 targets of varying difficulty, should be easy with infinite arrows.

"Oh, there is a catch." Apollo leant into his ear. "I have made it so that you have only 6 arrows in your quiver to do it. So you miss too many, I guess you'll have to keep wondering forever."

Rho pulled the small stock of arrows he had in his once infinite quiver and glares at Apollo. "Are all the gods going to be this tricky to deal with?"

"We don't have the best customer service I must admit." Apollo laughed.

Rho turned his attention to the closest target. It looked plain enough to hit, but he guessed Apollo had a few more tricks up his sleeve. He had conveniently double the arrows to target, meaning to wont be that east to hit them in the first shot. Rho drew his first arrow, aimed at his target, breathed in to keep his hand steady, confident with his aim he let go of the bronze dart. Which flew straight at the target.

And the target moved out of the way.

Just as the arrow was about to hit the target the wooden frame it rested on jumped, literally, into life and leaped 5 feet to the air then back down again, where it become immobile again. Behind him Apollo leant against a tree, playing a guitar looking melodically instrument which Rho guesses was a lyre. The god laughed at his own trick. Some loving uncle he was.

Rho gritted his teeth, glaring at the jumpy target. Obviously this game was more than a test of skill. Rho thought for a second. One arrow down, still 3 targets and this one was tricky. Rho thought about what to do, then he an idea.

He pulled another arrow, aiming at the target again and fired, this time expecting it to jump. The Target jumped into life again but Rho was ready for it, pulling another arrow and firing it into the air where he knew the target would meet it at its point at the apex of its jump. His aim was true, and the arrow hit the target in the air in the centre. It fell to the ground and vanished.

Behind him he heard Apollo clapped, but Rho didn't turn around but instead moved onto the next target. He had 3 arrows left, a distinct disadvantage but it would have to do. The next target was moving erratically and almost too fast for Rho to process. Rho steadied himself. He had to get this one right, he could afford to lose another arrow.

He pulled an arrow, attaching it to the string and aimed, but the target was moving too fast for him to makes sense. He loosened his pull on the string, trying to make sense of the targets movements. Behind him the lyre continued its annoying melody. He was in half a mind to fire one of his arrows at it to shut it up, but firing at a god would probably be a bad idea. It was getting on Rho's nerves so he closed his eyes to try and block it out.

As he did he felt his hands tingle, as the outside noise around him dampened until he heard nothing. He opened his eyes, confused to see the world around him the same but almost in super-slow motion. This had happened before to him but he had never been able to control it, he almost lost his focus but he tried to keep his mind drowning out noise and heightening his senses.

The target was also slowed in front of him. It was still fast but Rho thought he could do it. He pulled his arrow back up, he too was slowed but not at the same degree, he wasn't manipulating time he was increasing his reactions. He pulled the string and let go just in front of the targets path. As the arrow cut through the air time sped up again until the arrow connected with the target and it vanished. Rho could help but pump his fist in victory. "Yes!"

"Impressive, but," Rho turned to see that behind him Apollo had stopped playing his lyre and spread a grin across his face. "It's not over yet."

Rho turned his attention to the last target, the human shaped on with a bow in its wooden hand and a quiver of its own on its back. This intimidated Rho, why did it have a bow and quiver? He found out when he pulled another arrow to his bow. The target dummy also drew and arrow and loaded it. Rho frowned and took aim, and the dummy mimicked him again, also taking aim. Rho loosened its grip, and surprise surprise, the dummy followed suit. It was an almost perfect mirror of his body pose, his stance and movements. Rho wasn't sure what the twist was, so he drew back the string again.

He let go of his arrow, but the dummy fired first, catching Rho of guard and making him duck mid-release and making his aim be off. The targets arrow flew over him, and his arrow was off target. Rho was startled but the sudden ahead movement, so it wasn't a perfect copy. Apollo was the god of prophecy, so this was his foresight power in play.

He stood back up and heard Apollo's laughter behind him. "Ha only one arrow left. Can you make it count?"

Rho grimaced. So this target was one step ahead. And he had only on arrow. He decided to run some tests. He quickly drew another arrow, it copied him. Rho had to really out-smart this one. But with only one arrow what could he do. It fired its arrow just before his finger let go, even if he slowed down the world around him he couldn't let go quick enough. If he had two… Rho allowed a smile to grow over his lips at his own genius.

He pulled at the strap on around his waist that held his quiver and pulled it off, letting the quiver fall to the floor and kicked it away from him. The dummy did the same, letting its own full quiver drop to the floor and it kicked it a few feet away. Then Rho took quick aim and fired, knowing the dummy would fire just before, but his plan wasn't to shoot first, but make sure that it shot back. He had to duck, and therefore lose his aim, but when he placed his knee to the ground again he reached up, and grabbed the dummies arrow out of the air.

"Ha!"

Rhonan stood back up, looking at the faceless dummy who stood still, trying to reach behind it for another arrow. But it seemed to forget it kicked it away.

Rhonan smiled, pulling the new arrow into Aspasia, the dummy tried to do the same but was without a spare, and was helpless as Rho released and its head blew apart into tiny splinters.

Behind him he heard a sharp twang as he turned to find Apollo stunned, his godly mouth open exposing his shiningly white teeth, and his lyre with one string broken. Rho couldn't help but look smug as he turned to walk over to his uncle, who smiled. Eventually he regained his composure as Rho put away his bow. "Bravo nephew. Truly you have your mother's wisdom. And your father would be proud."

'My father?' Rho thought.

"Well, a deal is a deal." Apollo clenched his hands and a shining light protruded in the gaps between his fingers. He opened it again and a flat bronze disk shaped like a pocket watch with various cogs and dials. "This is an Astrolobe. It is used to find out the position of the sun, stars, where you are, and I've modified it a little too it can tell you where you're going." Apollo indicated to a metal gold arrow pointing westward. "It also can tell you horoscopes. Apparently it's a good month to try something new."

Rhonan admired the various dials and numbers indicating different information. It felt warm in his hands despite the metal, and it gave off a certain comfort to him. "Cool. Can it tell the time?"

Apollo took it in his hand for a second and examined it before handing it back. "Erm no. Time is overrated anyway." Rho couldn't help but laugh and was thankful for his gift.

"So this is where you wondered off to." Another voice approached then, and they both looked to see Chiron trotting towards them. "Apollo, it's good to see you again tutor."

"Chiron please. It been centuries since you called me tutor." The two shook hands like old friends. "I'm sorry I've taken up so much of my nephew's time."

"Not at all, I think learning his skills in action was best. It worked with me after all." Chiron gaze Rho quick glance which made him smile back up at the old centaur.

"That it did." Apollo agreed.

Rho felt a vibration in his hand, and quickly glanced at his Astrolobe. The dials spun in opposite directions, before on settled on a section labelled "dýsis" and another hand landed on a section with a setting sun and stars above it. "Erm, if you don't mind." Rho butted into the reunion. "If I was reading the Astrolobe right, I need to be heading west by nightfall."

"Oh yes." Apollo walked away from the two and picked up his lyre. "Well I must be going anyway. Remember Rho, even as a God of Prophesy I can't determine what is in store for you. But if you're anything like your mother, everything will go great. Until it doesn't." Rho and Chiron turned away and with that he vanished in the godly bright light.

Rhonan almost felt sad watching his uncle disappear after their first ever meeting. He may be a god, but he did feel like a genuine family member to Rho, and he saw a lot of similarities between him and his son, Henry.

"Well Rhonan." Chiron gripped his shoulder, bringing him out of his trance. "We have something to discuss."

* * *

Chiron sat Rho down in the Big house, soon after Annabeth walked in, smiling at Rho before sitting next to him with a 'What's going on?' expression. He just shrugged and waited for Chiron to speak.

The centaur finally stopped pacing and looked at the two, folding his arms. "Unfortunately, we still have no indication on how the monster got through the border." Next to him Rho could feel Annabeth shag in disappointment. "It should be out top priority to find this breach in our security, and that's why I called you here Annabeth. You are the smartest of the lot, is anyone can take the lead in finding it, it is you."

Annabeth nodded slowly. "I'll try, but the attack last night… I thought the Fleece would protect us for longer. I'll get right on it."

"There is, however, another mystery at hand." Chiron said, turning to gaze from across the centre table. "The monster that attacked us, the Hippalyctron, did not have the traditional appearance or powers. What's more, scouts have seen similar monsters around our borders. One scout reported seeing an _empousia_ with a donkey head and a snake tail. He wasn't sure if it was more frightening or funny."

Rho stayed silent. He wasn't sure what to do but he was just as curious as to the monsters alternation as Chiron.

"I do believe that Apollo's visit to you Rho is connected to this mystery." Chiron continued.

"Apollo came to visit you?!" Annabeth looked at him with disbelief.

"I wouldn't call it a visit." Rho answered.

"Regardless, he pointed you in the direction of your quest." Chiron said.

"My quest?" Rho frowned.

"You know what a quest is don't you?" Annabeth asked.

"Well yeah but isn't there like a reason for me to go on a quest, like the Oracle reads out a prophecy of dubious gibberish?"

"Traditionally yes, but the Oracle is particularly quiet now a days." Chiron continued. "Apollo did however mentioned your journey, and that Astrolobe of yours says you must go west. So, the Fates themselves said your destiny was unreadable, perhaps this is why no prophecy was given to you."

"So, I guess I don't have much choice." Rho stood up, defiant. "I guess I'm going to find out what's attacking our border. And what's the deal with the fucked-up Chickorse." Chiron raised an eyebrow at Rho's cussing. "Sorry."

"So, as this is an official quest, the protocol is you take two companions. Who you choose should be a decisions not made lightly but…"

"No."

Annabeth turned to face him with a confused look. "No? It's the safest option for demigods in modern day to quest as a threesome. You seriously want to go out there by yourself?" She looked him in the eyes, but this only made her realise he was more serious then she thought. "You want to go by yourself don't you?"

Rho interrupted. "I'm sorry but if this really is my journey I need to do it alone. I think that's why the Fates compared me to Theseus. He didn't have anyone follow him to Crete, so I won't either."

Annabeth looked ready to protest but Chiron put up his hand to stop her. "Very well Rho. This burden is your own then. Take all the time to prepare and head off when you need to. May the Gods guide you down a safe path, Son of Artemis." And with that Chiron left without another word.

They waited before he was out of earshot before speaking any more. "He's mad at me for doing this alone." Rho rubbed the back of his neck.

"No, he thinks you made the brave choice. You are a lot like Percy in that way." She trailed off for a second before she smacked him round the head. "I however, am mad at you! Why won't you let me come with you, I can help."

Rho rubbed the lump on his scalp. "They need you here. I don't think anyone else can figure out how to find the problems in the border."

Annabeth looked about ready to smack him again, but she backed down. "Okay. Fine then, in that case." Suddenly she pulled him into an embrace. Rho was taken aback for a second, but soon his arms moved around her and he hugged her back closely. Their hug was not of love but of friendship and worry.

"I'm sure I'll do fine." Rho reassured her. "Besides, if you came along I don't think I'd get anything done."

She let out a small laugh before they both left the Big House to prepare him for his quest.

* * *

Just before dinner Rho was packed and ready. His rucksack was packed with food, Ambrosia and other medical supplies, sleeping kit and other useful gadgets. He had gotten himself a sword which he fitted into a secret sheath on his back so the bag concealed it. He didn't bother with armour, since his new jacket seemed to be strong as steel, and much lighter to boot.

A lot of people kept insisting they go with him on the quest but he refused every single one. He wasn't trying to be selfish, nor trying to prove he could do it alone. But somehow this seemed to be his quest and his quest alone, plus he didn't want to get anyone in any more danger. The attack the night before had been his fault, and he was keen to rectify it.

Dinner had been quiet, Annabeth helped a little by giving him tips like how to fight a Hydra and to never fall for _empousia_ seductive tongue, but this just made him more apprehensive. He tried to look on the brightside, his sacrifice to Apollo that night of a full plate of cheesecake must have went down well.

Suring the day he had gotten a little practice with a Pegasus. He'd ridden horses back on the farm and it was almost the same, except when it took off and he felt his insides stay grounded. He had gotten as used to it as he could and he reckoned he would get used to it.

He was by the border tree, a procession of farewells with him. A lot of the campers wished him luck, but some, mostly Ares cabin, said they hoped he didn't die right away since they had bets on how far he would get across the country. He took them as to mean good luck.

He mounted the Pegasus, a purest white one called Charis, meaning "Grace". Annabeth secured his straps with a forced smile. "Well, this is it I guess."

"Don't worry, I'll be back." Rho smiled and she nodded and stepped back. Chiron approached him, a look of concern on her face.

"Going alone can mean no one is watching your back, are you sure?"

Rho thought for a second, remembering the pot he had seen in the dream with the Fates, the black haired girl running alongside the man who looked very much like him. "I think I won't be alone for long."

"Well, Gods speed." And with that Chiron slapped the rear of the Pegasus and Rho was off, his stomach 30 feet behind him and sick in his throat as he headed west on his quest.


	8. Chapter 8 - Reunion

Chapter 8-

Rho woke up over interstate 80, which they had been trying to follow west since Chicago. The take-off was the worst part but flying in the air on the Pegasus was smooth and almost relaxing. Charis whined in good morning, the sun just cresting the horizon. Was it only morning? He chance a look down the ground. The landscape had certainly become more arid, less green, and browner. He reached into his pocket gingerly and pulled out his handy Astrolobe. He held it against the sun, and the dials whizzed and whirred until they settle down and words formed on a small screen, like one on an old calculator.

Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Wyoming? They had travelled over 7, maybe 8 states over night? He underestimated the speed of a Pegasus. He guess since he was only one demigod he wasn't very easy to find flying in the air. He was glad Zeus hadn't shot him out the sky either.

He could tell Charis was tired, and he felt his stomach rumble. He decided a rest would be good right about now. "I think we both could use a break." Charis whinnied in a sarcastic way as if to say 'Says the one who slept half the journey!' but she descended softly as to not cause to much discomfort for Rhonan, which he was thankful for.

They landed near a rock formation that stood away from civilisation. Rho knew most mortals couldn't see Pegasi because of the mist, but he didn't want to take any chances. He dismounted and Charis fell onto her knees, panting from exhaustion. Rho patted her and gave her some apples from his bag to sweeten her up before biting into his own. He looked around at the barren landscape, wondering why people would live in such a gloomy part of the world. It would have been a desert is not for the houses and other buildings in the distance. He sighed.

He combed his sweaty auburn hair with his hand, stretching his legs as he did. It was a hot for spring, but he guess it was the journey that did it. He took out his Astrolobe again. He could read its strange words and symbols in his head, and even some of the campers couldn't distinguish some of the language. Somehow he guessed he wasn't too far from his destination, wherever that was.

He rested his head back after finishing his apple, the light pollution from the houses and buildings in the distance brightening the side of his vision along with the gently rising sun. He took this time to contemplating what exactly he was doing.

He was alone, that was for sure. Apart from his mythical flying companion, he was by himself on a quest for… he didn't even know what. He knew he had to somehow find the source of these weird monsters, but where to start? All this seemed to have been dumped on him and he was more than happy to pick it all up fast, but now that it was in his hands he didn't know what to do with it. He knew one thing for sure, he didn't want more people hurt back at camp. He couldn't waste more time then what was needed, the more time he did nothing the more risk people would be put in.

He turned back the Charis to say it was time to leave. But his face darkened as he saw the white feather flutter gently into a pool of shining blood and dust. Over Charis' dead body was a group of woman, beautiful and young, almost endearing. Then as Rho watched their formed flickered, their bodies turning into a mixture of shining bronze matter fur, and their heads had long ears, and flaming hair. It was the legs that gave them away. _Empusa._

Rho drew his hidden sword gently, trying to make as little noise as possible. This was perhaps the worst thing to do, as the group of four turned on their metal and hooved legs to face him, startles by the sudden appearance of celestial bronze. They hissed their blooded tongue at him, Rho cursing from his poor choice in weaponry. He should have picked his bow.

Before he had time to change tactics one lunged at him with great speed for one with mismatched legs. He slices his sword up, clashing with her claws and stopping her charge. The others moved away from their meal as Rho swung his sword at his attacker. He managed to draw blood from a few slashes at her arms, but she retaliated by kicking Rho in his chest, but his jacket absorbed most of the blow, thank gods they didn't go for his exposed arms.

He backed away, outnumbered now. Four e _mpusa_ against him. He felt grief over Charis, she had been a gentle creature. He clutched his sword in two hands, his heart pumping the adrenaline he wanted. One of them flickered back into the form of a beautiful redheaded girl with a lean yet busty body.

"Come on, do we have to fight?" She pouted with big, alluring eyes. "I'm sorry if we startled you. Why don't you come over here so we can kiss and make up?"

Rho felt his heart skip a few beats, his head shroud slightly and his hand waver, but he closed his eyes, blocking out the sound around him like he had done before with Apollo. Annabeth warned him _empusa_ had charm speak. He let the sound around him be drowned out, his other senses heightening. He could smell the metallic blood of Charis, he could feel the _empusa's_ movements through the air, one of them running towards him with claws bared.

He spun out of her path, bringing his sword in a slashing motion to wear she thought he was, and where he had been. He cut through her body with ease, her torso split and her dust spraying out onto the floor where she collapsed dead. One down.

The other monsters shrieked in rage at their fallen sister. The second and third came for him. He drove his sword into the second, leaving it inside her chest as the dust burst from the puncture. He moved his momentum into a roll, pressing the symbol on his ring to bring out his bow, pulling an arrow into the string as he came up. The _empusa_ was too slow to see the arrow pierce through her eye and out the other side of her head. She fell to the floor dead in a second, and she disintegrated.

The last flame haired monster was writhing in fury. She slashed and clawed towards Rho, who notched another arrow and took aim. An arrow hit her in her side and she screamed in pain.

Rho's eyes widened. It wasn't his arrow.

Another arrow hit her, spewing dust onto the already glistening blooded rock. Then another, and another. More and more arrows struck her from every angle, hitting every limb. Soon she exploded into dust, leaving Rho in panic. He kept his arrow notched and half drawn, spinning around to try and catch a glimpse of the other archer.

"Who's out there?" he called. He knew full well no one would answer. He readied his bow, this time closing his eyes not to drown out sound but to enhance it. He heard to calm shudder of night, and a very feint sound of a foot gently place itself on rock.

He spun towards it, firing his arrow just left of the sound as a warning. "I heard that."

It turned out he heard very little. Around him from behind bushes and rocks women in white shirts, silver jackets not unlike his own, silvery camo pants and black combat boots, and all carrying menacing silver bows. They surrounded him, all of them glaring at someone who they just saved.

"Right… didn't hear you guys." He turned towards the bush from where he fired his arrow. "Sorry I shot at you. Can you tell these very… nice ladies too-"

He was cut off by the figure who moved out the bush. It was another woman, but this some made Rho's heart drop and do a few somersaults. She had black hair, relatively short and spiky and her nose was blazoned with freckles. She wore a black leather jacket, which stood out against her companions white. She wore a silver circlet on her head like a princess's tiara, which didn't match her skull earrings or her Death over Barbie T-shirt showing a little Barbie doll with an arrow through its head. Her eyes were what Rhonan couldn't look away from, those electric blue hues made his jaw drop and his voice leave him. Rho had never seen someone so drop-dead gorgeous, and she vibes 'Drop-dead'.

"Tell these nice ladies what?" She asked, her expression of smug success, like she had just snagged the catch of the century. She was obviously the leader or the group.

"Erm…" Rho faltered, at a loose for words. "Well, see. I don't really like arrows being pointed a me, so if you wouldn't mind-"

The girl he had attempted to fire a warning at snapped back. "Well we don't really like having arrows shot AT us!"

"Those _Empousai_ were supposed to be our hunt, and you got in the way." She sounded quite angry, and Rho found it difficult not to laugh at how cute her angry face was. "Not only did you get in the way, but you killed three of them, AND got an innocent Pegasus killed in the process."

"I say we kill him on the spot." One called from the crowd of scary woman. "He's a male, he can't go unpunished."

"I'm being punished for being male!" Rho shouted. "How is that fair?!"

"Hush, boy." Another called. "You would want your death at the hands of the Maidens of Artemis to be swift."

Rho lost his breath for a second. He let his bow turn back into a ring as he reached into his pocket. Some of them pulled at their bow strings threateningly but he pulled out his Astrolobe. He checked the arrow that pointed in the direction of his quest, and found it spinning in circles. He looked at it with disbelief. He found his destination then, or rather, they found him.

"I wouldn't shoot me, if I were you." Rho smiled.

"Yeah?" The black haired leader, walking up to him and putting a bronze knife to his throat.

"Because I won't be happy if my arrows get stained by my son's blood." Said a new voice. The hunters turned in shock. A small girl around 12 with raven black hair and yellow silver eyes, almost exactly like Rho's, walked towards him.

Rho felt the blade leaved his throat and the black haired leader along with the other hunters bow to their knees as the girl approach. Rho almost had to kneel down to be eye level with the goddess, who smiled at him.

"Hello, Rho, my child."

* * *

The mood in the Hunters camp was awkward to say the least.

Artemis showed him into her tent, the largest and by far the most impressive, with a high ceiling and a small garden and water features inside. She told him to wait while she explained the situation with her hunters. From what Rho remembered of Henry's stories about the man hating Hunters of Artemis, he guesses he had a small chance of living through this.

What was worse, her lieutenant, Thalia he learnt her name was, was sitting across from him on the sofas, a constant glare across her face. Rho's mind was too busy trying to come up with a decent ice breaker.

He was about to open his mouth when Artemis reappeared, still in her young form which out Rho off in a way, seeing his apparent mother looking 4 years younger than him. Thalia immediately stood to the attention, and glared even more when Rho didn't.

"It's okay Thalia, he is comfortable sitting down."

"My lady." Thalia said. "With all due respect this is a male who is disgracing your presence, I think it would be best-"

"Thalia, you have been lieutenant for only a few months and you're a natural born leader." Artemis said calmly. "But I think my son is an exception to many rules past this one. At least for now."

Thalia breathed out a breath and gave Rho one more look of distrust. "I shall go to the Hunters." She left the tent. Now Rho and Artemis were alone.

She smiled at him, one of unsureness and what looked like guilt. "Rho, I believe an explanation is due." She sat down waiting for him to respond. He was still in shock, after 16 years he found his mother, and she was a goddess who looked like she only just joined junior high.

"Can I just ask something first?"

"Yes, of course. What is it?" She asked.

"Can you please at least _look_ like your old enough to have a kid?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." His mother giggled. "I'm so used to this form I never notice sometimes. Turn away." He did so and a shining light shone from where she sat, and when he turned back Artemis had aged, now she was around 30, her long raven hair hanging down her shoulders. She still looked battle ready, a bow around her shoulders and knives around her waist. She was beautiful, and for that moment Rho felt he had finally found his mother.

"Don't cry now." She said, tears in her eyes as well. "I hate it when males cry it's so ugly."

Rho laughed, forcing the tears of joy away from him. He stood up and sat next to his mother, and she pulled him into a warm hug, one that had been 16 years long overdue. They separated, her smile bright as the moon.

"This is going to be one of those sappy reunions in the movies isn't it?" Rho joked.

"Oh god I hope not. It's the one thing about western stereotypes I hate the most. Mothers are strong, they don't cry." She said wiping away her tears. "There is so much I want to tell you."

"There is so much I want to ask." Rho said. And they told each other. Artemis started by telling him why she gave him away, confirming that the dream Rho always had was true, that Zeus forced her to give him up. She told him Apollo had promised one of his sons to look after him, and how adamant he was to find whoever stole her purity from her to start with. Rho told her about growing up, telling her about his school, Henry, the day he found out everything.

"I remember it all." She said, much to Rho's confusion. She laughed lightly. "I am goddess of the moon now, you talked to me often and told me all this stuff. I watched you for years, but I could never say hello. I'm sorry."

"It was better that way." Rho smiled, happy that after all those years thinking talking to a moon was crazy wasn't so crazy after all. "In a way, you not talking back made it easier. It felt like all you did was listen and listening was enough."

She smiled and let her arm lock with his, a gentle gesture that Rho felt lucky to have now just because it was his long lost mother but also the man hating goddess.

"There is still one question." Artemis looked at him intently, but seemed to know the question before it was even asked. "Who is my father?"

Artemis stayed silent for a while, trying to find her words it seemed. "The night you were conceived, it was not a traditional… Conception." Rho lost his colour, regretting his interest in the details. She seemed to have noticed his face go pale. "It's nothing like that. I think, a spirit of the Hunt entered my womb, and our spirits merged to form you."

"A sprit of the Hunt?" Rho asked. "Is that possible?"

"Who knows?" She sighed. "You are my first child, and I am still pure. It is a very odd circumstance."

Rho felt a little taken aback by the distinct lack of a plausible answer. But he decided to try and find more details later. He had a quest to finish. "Arte- Mother. Do you have any idea who it could be? I mean… Henry was my father for so long and I love him, but somehow me finding all the out must mean something."

"I don't know my son… Something like this has never happened to any other Maiden goddess, nor in all of history." She explained as she looked back at him with his own eyes. "But perhaps right now it is not important."

Rho sighed. He didn't like that all of this was so sudden but he wanted to know it all, all the question he had unanswered for years, but now wasn't the time. "As much as I love catching up with you, mother, I have to go. I'm on a quest and I think it led me here for more than just a reunion."

"Oh yes, your quest!" Artemis stood up, Rho following her. "I think I know why you're here, my son."

They walked out into the setting sun, the camp alive with preparations for dinner. Hunters passed them, bowing to Artemis and giving looks to Rho like they weren't sure to give him a bow, a glare or hug. He just smile, keeping his finger near his ring for protection.

"I wouldn't worry." Artemis said. "My hunters have been told not to harm you in my presence." He nodded as they stopped by a table where maps and compasses sat laid out. On the other side of the table Rho was both happy and apprehensive to see Thalia observing the maps, intent on not looking at him. "I have been told by Apollo your quest is to find out the origin of the strange monsters correct?"

"Yes, it was a Hippalyctron that attacked me on my farm, and it wasn't like the ones in the past. It had a full chicken head and feet, and its tail and body was all wrong."

"We have had similar encounters." Thalia said, still not looking a Rho. She pointed to a few markings on the maps. "Here are some places we have found strange new monsters. The _Empousai_ were the most recent, along with harpies with two heads and four wings. A dozen or so Hippalyctrons' as well, and even a Chimera with the body of a cat and the head of a scorpion and the head of a goat."

Rho observed all the marked places on the maps laid in front. "Well, that definably sounds odd." Thalia growled under her breath, Rho just ignored her. He didn't see what her problem was with him still.

"We have also been trying to figure out what the source of these monsters is. We believe that these monsters aren't just abnormal due to their appearance and powers."

"What do you mean?" Rho asked.

"We think something is making monsters." Thalia answered. "You know, like a mixture of wormwood and a sprinkle of dog tongue kind of creation. Witchcraft, most likely Hecate or something."

"Creating monsters?" Rho asked. "Is that even possible?"

"I dunno, maybe we should ask the Son of a Maiden goddess!" Thalia scowled.

"Thalia." Artemis said sternly, and Thalia backed down. "We think they are coming from around here." She pointed to a lake around a small town.

"Lake Utah?"

"That's is where the monsters have been seen to come from." Thalia said.

"It's where my Hunters are heading, and now you are going with them." Artemis said.

"What!?" Thalia and Rhonan shouted together.

"The new moon approaches, and during this time as you know Thalia, I am weakened and unavailable. You can thank Selena for giving me this burden."

Thalia looked as if she might flip the table over, and Rho didn't blame her. "So, you're leaving me alone with your hunters? To fight an unknown enemy and an army of odd monsters?"

"And your leaving me with Him!?" Thalia exclaimed.

"I'm sure you can take very good care of each other." Artemis smiled. Behind her a silver chariot appeared, pulled by golden reindeer with silver horns. Artemis mounted the chariot. "I'm sorry our reunion was short Rhonan, but when this is over be sure to catch up." And with one last smile the chariot shot off with a bright light until it was lost on the horizon, and a green light flickered and the crescent almost new moon ascended the sky.

A new moon was always the worst times in Rho's life. He felt depressed and weak during the cycle. He hoped that his quest could hold out until the new moon was over, but knowing the relevance of natural events within mythology, it looked unlikely.

Suddenly he felt something smack the back of his head hard, and he cried out in surprise. He turned to see Thalia, her fist balled. "What did you do that for!?" Rho yelled at her.

"Artemis said as long as she was around we weren't allowed to hurt you. Now she is gone, you're just another male." She said. "Welcome to the camp of the Hunters of Artemis, Male. Let's see if you're worth your balls."


	9. Chapter 9 - Slithers and Wash-up Duty

Chapter 9 –

Rhonan's prediction of lasting less than a night seemed like a dream come true to him at this point.

Artemis might have misjudged just how much the Hunters really hated males. Thalia had immediately pushed (and dragged at one point) into the mess tent, and set him into cleaning the mountain of dirty dishes they had accumulated at some point or another. He was pretty sure that being immortal and magical, if they really wanted they could just magic them away. So far his mother's choice in followers didn't seem much thought out to him.

He was wondering what Thalia was playing at. Sending him to be their personal kitchen when there was a quest he needed to go on. He had half a mind throwing the plates to the ground in a very Greek fashion and walking out, which he almost would have done if not for a group of Hunters walking in at that moment.

"So, it seems Thalia got her way." They snickered, much to his annoyance.

"What, you have more plates for me to clean?" He said with an expected degree of anger.

"Actually, no we are not, my lord." 'My lord?' He almost wanted to but in and ask but he better not question the first sign of respect he had gotten since arriving. "You are the son of our lady after all, and some of us even remember our lady baring you."

"Gods, the cravings lady Artemis had." Said one.

"So, you're going to help your 'lord' do the dishes?" He asked hopeful.

"Oh Zeus no. Your still a male, doing the dishes is far within your power." The oldest of the group said.

"We do however, believe you have far more important things to do." Another said. "You were sent here by the Gods on a quest, and we don't think washing us up is part of it."

"So, what, your helping me escape?"

"Ha! Typical male, expecting someone to hold their hand the whole way." Said a beefy and big girl.

"Phoebe give him a chance." Said another. "Thalia believes we don't need you to defeat whatever is making these monsters, but we trust that our lady believes in you, and so does she in a way."

"Ignore Thalia, she's just trying to make an impression. Give her time. Tomorrow is a new day, and we shall be heading west. Just remember you are male, but you are still the blood of our lady, and that means, in a way, you are our… our…" She seemed to struggle on the word, all of them shuffling awkwardly. "Our Brother!" she burst into tears and ran out the tent, followed by the other girls.

Rho sighed, confused and rather relived the conversation hadn't resulted in his early demise, and returned to the plates.

* * *

Rho's sleep was plagued with nightmares. It happened mostly when the moon was approaching new, but they had never been this strong. He was running, running across a rocky valley. It wasn't him being in the valley that he found strange, it was what he was wearing. He was wearing the same clothes he wore during his claim, the white hunting cloth that was almost a dress, except it was short, ending at his knees and was cladded in leather. He was running from, something. Something he wasn't quite sure.

He turned his head to see the something, and regretted it. Behind him was a snake, and just any snake, it was a giant snake with many other snake heads on it. Its hide was red, and its eyes were black, and full of murderous lust.

He tried to keep running, but the slithering sound came closer, and closer, until he felt a rope wrap around his ankle, making him crash to the ground. He tried to grab at the binds around his leg, and as he felt it he noticed it wasn't a rope. It was the tongue of the snake, pulling him towards its open mouth. He tried to cry out but he couldn't, and he closed his eyes, prepared to enter the monsters mouth.

But he soon felt the binds untie, and he opened his eyes to find himself flying above the mountains, similar to his dream when he first got to Camp Half-Blood. He looked around, finding he was not alone, just like before. The Dot-To-Dot man was standing next to him, smiling with a wide smile.

"Hello again." Rho said, surprised that he could finally speak in this dream. The man waved, obviously still unable to communicate. He tried to point towards the lake again, then trying to speak and getting frustrated when he couldn't. Rho frowned, thinking about how they could do this.

"How about we play charades?" The man frowned. Rhonan guessed he was too old to know of the game. "Right, this might be hard to explain."

The man raised a finger, as if to ask him to wait a moment. He reached out for a nearby star, and magically pulled it from its space, then placed it in front of them. Then he pulled another, then another, until a word formed from the stars, the lines forming the letters like they formed the outline of the man.

 **Προσοχή στη λίμνη , προσέξτε την, προσέξτε το φίδι και το εξάνθημα.**

"Beware the lake, the mountain, the snake, and the rash?" He read aloud, and the man nodded. "Okay so all that made sense apart from the rash thing. Am I supposed to avoid some Poison oak or something?"

The man laughed gently before just gazing out towards Rho, his smile lighter than before and almost like he was exerting… pride? Rho didn't feel weird by this strange lined figure, in fact he felt calmer then usual. Rho started to notice something stranger. The eyes of the man in front of him, or at least what resembled a man more than a woman with just lines, were obscured, the stars that he had where his eyes should be were dim and hard to see.

"Thanks I guess."

The man saluted in the American fashion, laughing silently as he did. Rho laughed back, wondering why this line-drawn man was so familiar.

* * *

Rho was awoke from his deep dream by a kick, literally, on his thigh. He jumped up, half predicting who would do such a thing, and having his prediction confirmed.

"Get up, male. We are heading west on this 'Oh-so-important' quest of yours." Thalia said, her arms crosses, and a scowl which was almost totally ruined by the tiara like headband she wore atop her black hair. Rho huffed himself out of the uncomfortable sleeping bag he was in, but he stopped remembering he was sleeping just in underwear. She noticed him pause, "What's the problem?"

"Would you mind looking away? I wouldn't want to taint your eyes with my manhood while I change." He smirked, much to her annoyance. She did turn away, and he stood up to change is clothes. As he was putting on his shirt, he felt eyes on the back of his neck, and he turned to find her suddenly standing up straight, like to attention, her ears red for some reason.

"Just… hurry up okay, gods." She stormed out the tent, leaving him puzzled.

"What's her problem?" He asked himself. He pulled on his white jacket and camo tracks, finding his sword surprisingly still attached to his backpack as he slumped it over his shoulder and left the tent. He found the entire camp of around 20 Huntresses all taking down the tents with ease, compacting the canvas into small sheets.

A moment later Thalia was standing on the road leading west. "Tonight is the first night of New moon, which means as acting commander I shall lead the hunt to Lake Utah. We must reach their by nightfall."

"Nightfall!" Rho shouted. "I can understand flying over 7 states on a Pegasus, but on foot? From the border that's-"

"Around 200km from here yes." Thalia smiled. "You underestimate our pace."

The Hunters began to mobilise, some collected into a group to go hunting for food and supplies, going parallel to the main bulk, who headed west straight through the arid landscape. Thalia had been right about their pace, they didn't seem to break a sweat in the heat, whereas Rho was tired after the first few hours, but he refused to show it.

He noticed that as they walked something seemed, off. They walked and the world around them changed in environment a lot quicker than it should. On moment they were on a rocky flats then they cross patchy grass plains, and finally they were in a forest, the midday sun thankfully blocked out by short but densely packed trees.

"Wait, where did the tree's come from?" Rho asked, "Why is it the middle of the day suddenly?"

"We travel the paths of the Hunters." A nymph hunter told him. "These paths cut our journeys in half, it very useful."

Rho frowned, but accepted the idea. He breathed in the forest scent, a smell all too familiar to ones back in North Dakota. It had the same pine richness, but with something else added to it. Something not quite right.

"Hold on." He said. She sniffed again, trying to focus on the scent again. It was fresh, no, musty, like a damp fog. It mixed with something else, something viscose, acidic. Two separate scents.

"What is it now?" Thalia turned, but she shut up when she noticed Rho completely still, like a statue, focusing on the scented air. He could smell whatever it was get more powerful, like it was approaching where he was standing. Approaching fast from the left.

He pressed the symbol on his ring, bringing up his bow with an arrow in his hand. He notched it and fired before Thalia could even react to the midget Cyclops that ran at her with an axe. The arrow passed straight through the monsters head, making it flail to the floor and melt into dust. Thalia looked at the dead monster, then back at Rho, then she finally registered they were under attack.

"Ambush!"

Immediately all the Hunters pulled their bows, knifes, any form of defence they could, moving into a circle formation. So far nothing else came out of the trees, but he could hear them. Sounds of different sized feet running, circling the group. "Why aren't they attacking?" Rho asked as he tightened his grip on his bow nervously.

"How am I supposed to know?" Thalia shouted at him. He voice not angry but serious, which was certainly different from her usual moody madam.

Rho readied his bow again, trying to find a target but nothing caught his eye, but nothing entered his vision, in fact, the forest was clear from his angle.

" _This is the blood of the hunter, is it?"_

Rho spun his bow around, trying to find the source of the voice. It was a women's, but something about it was defiantly bad, it seemed too rattle the air around them.

"Who is that?" He shouted to the air. The other Hunters turned to him confused.

"Who is what?" One said to him, before pulling up her bow. "Behind you!"

He spun on the spot, breathing in to speed his reactions. He had gotten a lot better at it since he first tried it around Apollo. Time slowed, and he turned to see an Empousa, claws bared and fiery hair flying towards him. He fired his arrow, hitting her in the chest and reducing her to dust.

" _Ohhh he is good."_ The voice toyed. _"But I still don't see why Menoetius is so worried about this one."_

'Menoetius?'

"Rho, look out" Another two monsters, two green skinned Cyclops's who shared a leg, hobbled over toward him clumsily. Rho retracted his bow, pulling his sword from its sheath and charging at the monsters. They tried to swipe at him, but he slid under their swipe and slashed through their shared leg. The Siamese Cyclops's roared in anger, to busy trying to organise with each other on how to move to notice Rho jump on their back, driving his sword into one of their spines. More roars in anger and he pulled himself up the leathery hair back of the monster and bought his sword through their necks, the head falling to the floor and the body turning into dust.

Rho fell to the ground, rolling to a crouch, his cargos stained by blood but his jacket untainted. Pretty nifty. The voice hissed, not like a human hiss like a reptilian hiss. _"My precious monsters! My children! Son of Artemis, you shall rue the day-"_

"Would you please shut up?!" He shouted, the voice feeding straight into his mind and getting very annoying.

"No one is talking Rho." Thalia said, appearing next to him.

"You can't hear her?"

She looked at him and shook his arm frantically to get his attention away from the space around him he thought the voice was coming from. "Hear who!?"

"Me." The turned to see two snakes, fangs bared, bite into their necks.


	10. Chapter 10 - A Civil Conversation

Chapter 10-

The world swirled around him, his forehead throbbing as whatever the fangs of the snake were laced with pumped into his system. He felt weak, his legs not listening to his brain causing him to stumble in all directions, and with his vision clouded by hallucinations. Sun flares, shadows, fires, sparks, beams of light that all of it sent his heart racing in panic. He tried to make sense of where he was, but all he saw was an empty pulsing ground and tall mirage-like trees. He felt himself sweat profusely as he staggered around whatever hell he was in.

He tried to clear his mind, make sense what had happened, but it was difficult to concentrate without the feeling his stomach would burst. He remembered teeth, no… fangs, plunging into his neck. A snake, red skinned, eyes black. His mind flashed white, painfully white, and he fell to the ground, his hands burning from new cuts. He lay there on the floor, his breathing heavy as his vision fluttered between blackness and a vast array of rainbows. He tilted his head left, and in the blurry distance he saw a blob, a blob of white and black. He reached out his arm to it, but it was too far away, so he gripped the crunchy ground and dragged himself towards it. His vision was still wavy, his balance still gone so he couldn't stand.

He got closer to the blob, and it grew into the outline of a person, lying on their side the ground unmoving. Then he got closer, his vision finally able to distinct it as a girl, her clothes stained with blood and mud, and her black hair full of pine needles.

"Thalia…"

With what little strength he had he rolled her on her back, checking to see if she was breathing. Her breath was light, but it was there. His brain was still fuzzy from what must be poison from the snake bite. His vision wasn't the problem now, it was his weakness. He felt himself slowly slipping to unconsciousness. He needed to act fast, but what did he need to do. He collapsed on the ground, his mind staring into the sun that seemed more and more like death welcoming him. He felt his eyelids grow heavy, his life seeming to fall around him.

* * *

Assorted short-term and long term memories relived themselves. Rhonan was a toddler, running around the chicken patch chasing a number of hen, laughing astatically. He was watching the barn burn before him, tears rolling down his face. He was at his first day at school, then his last. Then he was at the beach, the blond haired Annabeth kissing him and pulling at his belt, her tongue running down his neck.

Then a new memory emerged. He was running through a forest, a bow in his right hand and his left was another hand. A girl, same age as him, her hair black and her eyes a familiar celestial silver. She was smiling too as they run into a clearing, breaking apart onto to pull arrows in their bows and fire at rabbits which nestled on the ground, both meeting their mark.

They each picked up their kill, and when they did the girl smiled rather slyly. She winked at the man whom' eyes Rho's was looking through. "Race you back to the camp!" and with that she was off like a bullet, and with a smile the man set off after her, laughing as he did and catching up with her fast.

The memory skipped as Rho, or the man's memory whom Rho was looking through, burst from into the tree's and back out instantly into a campfire. People dancing around them and eating various game, and the man was sitting by the fire, the girl opposite him and laughing, the man obviously finishing a story, but he stood up and raised the cup of drink.

"Artemis, my friend, my most beautiful crescent moon, I give thanks to the Fates that we are so well met. The love we share is as valuable as my life, and I am a better man for knowing you."

'Artemis?' Rho thought.

Artemis giggles and blushed, but raised her cup up as well. "I treasure our friendship also, Orion. Thou art a fine man and I bless our time together." The two drank, and Artemis jumped up, running over to the man, whom Rho was now watching in third person which meant he could get a better look at him. The very tall man who he had been reliving the memory through was around 20 maybe, his auburn hair curly, very much like Rho's and his smile was almost uncanny. His skin was the colour of toast, like it was made out of wheat almost. His eyes however were his most defining feature.

His eyes seemed to be entirely bronze. Under his normal eyelids they seemed to shine with brilliance as he gazed down at Artemis next to him. They were mechanical, and would be almost real if not made from Celestial bronze.

It was when Artemis leaned in and kissed the man on the lips. The man, Orion, had managed to win the affection of a male-hating maiden goddess. Rho's eyes widened. Could this man be his father? But he knew the story of Orion, he knew it ended not like this, but in tragedy.

Just as he thought this the memory skipped again, this time Orion was waving Artemis goodbye as she walked away with some of her nymph followers. Orion spoke to another man, whom Rho didn't recognise at first. "What incurs thine anger, my lord?" asked Orion. Rho was again surprised as the man's face was shown. It was the unmistakeable handsome face of the sun god, Apollo.

"I'm surprised you would question my apprehension at the arrival of another who enjoys my sister's favours."

Orion laughed before he could think not to. "Favours?" he exclaimed. "But Artemis is a chaste goddess. She has not known me, nor any man. We are companions, but of the hunt and the forest, not any bed or bower." Rho watched as the first thought kind sun god grew red in fury, he punch Orion to the ground, his face livid.

"You insult me-mortal," Apollo said, standing up, his face a blaze of wrath. Orion cowered at his feet. "Do not lie to my divine! I take women as my lovers, as nature intended, tell me why you shall be different?"

"My lord, I did not intend any insult-" But Apollo walked away before Orion could apologies, vanishing by the tree line. Orion was on his knees, his body shaking in remorse over the misunderstanding. Artemis was running towards the shaking man as the image changed again.

He was watching Orion toss and turn in his sleep, the images flashing in the air above him. A scorpion, three times larger than he was, and Orion was being overpowered, no matter how much he tried his sword could not pierce the scorpions armour, and then he awoke, sweating and shaking. He rose out of bed, grabbing his bow and quiver.

"Artemis." He whispered as he walked out of his tent. But as he left the tent, his nightmare became real. The scorpion towered over him, his stinger raised and eyes focused on Orion, whose face lost colour and his jaw dropped. He fought the monster for what seemed like hours, his sword and arrows bouncing off the armour and not even leaving a scratch. Rho floated above them, unable to speak or move. He was forced to watch this for what seemed like years but also seconds. He couldn't help this helpless man, be it his father or not. They fought until they reached the shoreline, and Orion saw his only chance at escape and jumped the cliff, into the ocean.

Then the scene cut to the camp again, Artemis and Apollo in deep conversation over something. "Orion is not thine concern, for I have sombre news sister." Apollo's face seemed calm but Rho felt it. The god's anger under his tones, the betrayal he felt in his voice. "An evil man, Candaon, had this night previous attacked and raped Opos, one of your hyperborean priestesses, and is as we speak swimming to a distant island, hoping to escape the wrath of Artemis."

Rho could almost feel the anger Artemis felt at that moment. Hate for the man who defiled her loyal maiden, and rage as to his daring and most cowardly retreat. "No one escapes the wrath of Artemis! My bow shall end the evil man. Candaon shall die today!" She ran to the ocean, Apollo, with a grin of victory, followed her, and the scene changed.

They were at the coast, Artemis trying to find whom she thought was Candaon but was in fact Orion. Apollo pointed to a speck in the distance, the fleeing Orion, and Artemis loosed her arrow with unerring aim and slew her friend. When he saw his plan had succeeded, Apollo ran away.

Rho couldn't cry our as he watched he arrow unmistakably hit the figure in the water, whose splashing strokes stopped as he sunk into the water. He couldn't stop his innocent mother killing the person she loved, the only person she ever will. Artemis turned as a nymph maiden approached her. "Opos, it is good to see thee unharmed. One who has lost purity deserves vengeance, which I have just exacted."

"My lady, you have been misled." Opos said. "I have retained my purity, the man you shot was no such attacker."

Artemis' eyes widened in shock. "But then… Who is-" she turned to the ocean and dropped her bow. "No!" she dived into the ocean, swimming towards the speck she had shot. As she swam, the memory melted into the last scene, Artemis stroking the lifeless body of Orion as a man with white, aged hair applied droplets of green liquid to Orion's lips, but he soon moved away, shaking his head.

"Lady Artemis, I'm afraid his soul had already found its way into the Asphodel Fields. The blood of Gorgon can help him find his way home to you. I am sorry."

"Thank you, Asclepius." Artemis said, tears in her silver eyes. He left the tent, leaving Rho's mother to weep over the body of her first love. Rho felt his heart back in his body sink into black sadness, if he could he would weep alongside his mother.

She turned her gaze skyward, the night lights shining above. She smiled, and looked at the lifeless Orion. "My fine man, my friend." She cupped his head in her hands, and she closed her eyes and from her palms a light glistened through the hair of the man. "Never shall you leave the night I will sleep through. Never shall I hunt alone, while you are there above me, watching over me. You shall forever be next to me, my star. My love."

Orion's body began to change. His body faded into a dotted lights, like stars, that outlined his body, connected by lines. Rho now recognised him, the man from his dreams. The man who had pointed him in the direction of his quest, who had laughed and had warned him. This whole time it was Orion, first love of his mother. He faded, the lights rising into the sky and forever placing themselves in the sky as the constellation. Artemis smiled, and wept into her arms as the memory finally faded. Leaving Rho stunned at the memory he had no idea was his.

'What… the actual…. Fuck.'

Then the memory's returned again. He was a baby, the giant man sitting in a golden throne, and his mother holding him as a baby, begging for him to be spared. He was in the barn, picking a flower from the ground, chewing it, and spitting it into a bandage to heal the mother sheep.

The flower.

Its stem was short. Its petals silver. Asphodel. It had healed the sheep, maybe it would heal them? No, Asphodel was for cuts and wounds, he needed an anti-toxin. It couldn't be like last time, surely. Just thinking of a perfect plant to help his situation. Then in his mind a new flower formed. Its petals orange, long and curved. Its stem branched off in many directions with several orange coloured heads attached to them. Mystisia. The name of the plant that can cure this snake bite was Mystisia.

* * *

He turned his head towards Thalia, reaching his hand out towards her. But now his eyes focused on a new colour, a purple colour that had appeared between them. His eyes pieced together the image of a multiheaded, purple petals of the flower from his mind. The Mystisia, the cure to poison.

Rho couldn't help but smile through his thumping brain. "Oh I am SO good." He murmured.

He picked the flower from the ground, his dizzy state not overpowering his determination. He picked a two petals from each flower, cupping them in his hands and blowing on them, his instinct telling him to give it carbon dioxide in order to increase the potency. He then slowly and painfully reached over to Thalia's mouth, opening it and placing the petal under her tongue, then doing the same to himself.

He felt nothing at first, just the cool petal under his swollen muscle. But soon he could taste something sour, and he felt his insides burn slightly, making him wince in pain but then it was gone, and he felt his head begin to clear, the bright lights dulling and the hallucinations gone. He felt his breath return to normal, and he took deep, blissful inhales of air. He turned to Thalia, whose breathing also improved, and her face regain colour, but she remained unconscious.

Rho couldn't help but laugh at the end of his traumatic experience. He finally felt able to sit up, which he did, and he finally got a clear look at his surroundings. They were still in the forest, but there was no sign of the hunters. He remembered being attacked by monster after monster, then finally the red snake lunging at him and biting his neck, and that was the last he could remember. He felt the strength in his legs return, and he stood up, finding his rucksack a few yards away, ripped but otherwise okay. His ring was accounted for too.

He looked down at Thalia, who seemed to not be waking any time soon. He checked his pocket and found his Astrolobe still inside it. He took it out, but then he remembered it didn't tell the time, but did tell him that was still in the forest in Utah, and only what seemed about a half a day's walk from the Lake. So where were the hunters?

He looked again at Thalia, and clapped his hands together like he often did before doing a job on the farm. "Right then, working time."

* * *

The fire was going strong as finally as the sun was setting she woke up, the many blankets falling off her shoulders as she yawned cutely and looked around at the small improvised camp Rho had made. He was sitting on a log by the fire, boiling water in a metal tin he found in his bag as he ate a granola bar. He had set up a single hammock he had in his bag across two trees, and she was lying in a sleeping bag. She quickly realised the hunters were gone, and she jumped up, trying to find her bow which he had smartly moved away from her.

"What! Where-Where are the other hunter!" She said, confusing mixing with anger. "Tell me male."

"Would you stop calling me male?" He said, his voice tired. "I just spent the past five hours making sure you heal properly. You should thank me for saving your life."

"You? Saving me?"

"We got bitten by a venomous snake." He said "I managed to wake up, go through a whole out of body experience, have my life flash before my eyes, and still manage to cure us, start a fire, and…" he pulled out from behind him two rabbits. "Catch us a meal."

She seemed to be struggling to remain angry as her hungry eyes followed the rabbit. She likes her lips. "You did all this yourself?"

He smiled as he put the rabbits over the fire to cook. "I was a boy scout okay. I learnt all the live off the land stuff when I was 10. But even before that, I could tell the difference between the berries that kill you and those that don't. I guess it come with being a hunter by blood."

She had given up standing up it seemed, as her knees almost gave out and he had to run and catch her fall, which she was not happy about. "Let me go I'm fine!"

"Let's not go through this argument okay? You be a good little lieutenant and follow orders." He said to her in an as insistent voice as he could. He genuinely didn't want her to be sick come the morning, not just because he would feel bad but also because he didn't want to venture out on his own.

She glared at him, but submitted, and let him carry her to the hammock, place her in it to rest, and then bring over some blankets and a rabbit for her to eat. "If you think males can't cook, it's either be stubborn or be alive."

She took the rabbit, and when he turned his back he could hear her ravish it, much to his amusement. He tucked into his own, he was hungrier than he had ever been. When he was finished he ripped a cloth from one of his camp T-shirt and soaked it in the hot water, and dabbed it over the bite in his neck. He winced in pain, but the hot water diluted the last of the venom on the wound. He walked over the Thalia, who had also finished, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I need to treat your wound."

"Ha." She said, turning away from him, but soon she turned back, her face slightly red. "Okay, but only this once."

He nodded, and sat down on the hammock and dabbed her wound. She forced herself not to show any pain, which he found odd but understandable.

"How do you know to do these things?" she asked him, her tone now lost all aggression, and had a sweet tone to it, one he found he could listen to forever.

"I'm not really sure." He confessed. "I guess is part of being son of the hunter, hunters know how to survive and stuff. They live and feed in the forest, so know everything about it." He paused, frowning. "It's actually kind of scary how much I know. How weird is that, I have this power but I fear it."

She laughed at this, a small laugh that seemed almost genuine, which was weird from someone who only that morning had kicked him awake. "I think I can relate to that."

"Really? How so?" Rho suddenly realised he didn't actually know who's child Thalia was. "Who's your godly parent?"

"You mean you don't know?" She said, perplexed. "That's odd, everyone has heard about me at Camp Half Blood. Annabeth must have told you about her friend the child of one of the Big Three?"

"Who, that Percy guy?"

"What- No, not him!" she began, but then he remembered.

"Oh wait, Thalia, daughter of Zeus, she did tell me. Wait, weren't you a tree!" he said shocked.

"Yeah, that's a long story." She laughed again. "Why are you giving me that look?"

"Well, you know, you were a tree."

She looked at him like he was the dumbest person in the world. "You're such a male." She smacked him over the head, but not painfully. They looked at each other, and after a very slow second she blushed and looked away. "Erm, so what do we do now?"

"We still have a quest to complete." He said, looking at his Astrolobe that still pointed west. "Best thing to do is head out tomorrow."

"Can't we wait for the hunters?" She asked, concerned.

"We can only assume that if they couldn't find us by now, we can't find them." He said solemnly, but he smiled in reassurance. "I'll take first watch."

"Okay." She said, and as He went to the fire she called him back. "Rho?"

"Hmm?"

"You're still a moron."

"Thanks for the positive words, I'll make sure that the monsters are very much aware of where you're sleeping when they come to murder us."


	11. Chapter 11 - Peeping Tom's

Chapter 11-

"Gods you are intolerable… Wake up! Come on, get up you lazy… Oh you know what, fine! _E_ _hἰss korakass_ with you!"

Rhonan slowly rose from his sleep, the constant curses from Thalia in his ear rousing him from his sleep. He had fallen sleep next to the fire, which was burning when he was on watch, but was now a smoking charcoal pile. "Oh, sorry." He had fallen sleep, exhaustion obviously overcame him. "Did you just tell me to throw myself to the crows?"

Thalia stood over him, her clothes still stained with blood and dirt from the day before, but her hair was still perfectly untouched and her face still beautiful. Rho had to shake his head clear when he finally noticed she was trying to talk to him. "Sorry what did you say?"

She looked at him with the familiar glaring hate. "What I was trying to say, was that you fell asleep on watch, and what's worse we have missed most of the morning, so well done for not waking up."

"Hey, you're one to talk!" Rho said, "I would have thought that someone who slept so damn loudly would get woken by their own snores!"

Thalia turned bright red. "Gods you are unbelievable!" She grabbed her bow and quiver and stormed off into the forest, shouting back at him. " _Boreíte gami̱méno o̱mí̱. Elpízo̱ na pésoun ston Tártaro kai ti̱n psychí̱ sas kaíei sto potámi Phlegethon._ "

Rho wanted so badly to throw something as he watched her march off. She made him so frustrated, what with the constant change in opinion of him. She would go from yelling at him and being angry for now reason, to laughing and being sweet, then back to angry again. He sat back down next to the fire, his breathing coming down and the tiredness washing over him again. He wasn't sure how he felt being stuck alone on this quest with her, one part of him wanted to carry on without her, leave her behind to be exposed to all manner of monsters in the forest. But another part of him disagreed and he wasn't sure why, but it felt like he couldn't leave her.

"Woman troubles?"

Rho spun around, summoning his bow and aiming it at a familiar sandy haired man. "Apollo?" he asked, lowing his bow slightly.

"Pleasure fair nephew." But Rho raised his bow again, gritting his teeth in anger. Apollo almost lost his usual grin as the arrow tip pointed between his bright eyes. "And what's incurred your anger?"

"Oh I don't know." Rho said mockingly. "Maybe it's the vision I had when I was dying from a snake bite. Of you tricking my mother into killing Orion."

This time Apollo's face lost its usual sunny smile, and took a more appropriate seriousness for a god. "So, you think me the villain now? You think your father didn't deserve his end, that my actions weren't justified?"

Rho pulled the bow string even closer to his face. So it was true, Orion was his father, what Apollo said proved it. "That's exactly what I think." Rho said, his voice low, almost like a growl from an animal.

Apollo walked closer to Rho, and sat down on the log by the fire, which immediately caught light again and burned radiantly. The god stared at the fire, the flames illuminating the sadness on his face. "I agree with you."

Rho loosened his bow string slightly, stopped the biting of his gums that he always did when he was angry, and stared at Apollo.

"Orion was an incredible warrior." He said, keeping his gaze on the blaze. "Never had I meet a man who was so devoted, so caring for someone of his origin and purpose." Rho wasn't sure what he meant, but he didn't stop the god's talking. "But of course, those traits all pointed towards my sister, whom picked the perfect time to devote and care in return."

Rho lowered his bow for good. He finally realised what Apollo had done, and remembered the look on his face in the vision he had, a face of someone betrayed and hurt. "You loved him."

Apollo laughed, a laugh that could make any woman swoon but was at that moment one of sombre remembrance. "Jealousy is a powerful emotion, and can cloud the mind of even the wisest, even a god can be overpowered, controlled by it. Back then we were ruthless, unbounded. The atrocities we committed were passed off as divine rule, not as out cries of jealousy, or anger, or the demonstrations of power that they really were."

Rho took a seat next to Apollo, his anger left him. He wasn't sure what to say, he had never felt like Apollo had. He assumed it must be a terrible thing to be jealous. He imagined the happiness Orion had on his face when Artemis kissed him, he looked content, happy, in love. He hadn't felt so content before, not even when Annabeth had kissed him for the first time. "How did you know he is my father?" Rho asked. "I mean, are you sure?"

He laughed again, a more positive one. "You have his eyes, his face. The way you hunt, it's like a mirror. I am sure."

Rho almost fell off his seat. So Orion was his father, it was a shock to him, finally knowing his family. "But, he died thousands of years ago, how is that even possible?"

"You do realise you are saying this to the immortal personification of the sun, music, and future telling right?" Apollo said, clapping Rho on the back. "Stranger things have happened my boy." Apollo reached into Rho's pocket and pulled out the Astrolobe. "You must be going west, you are coming close to your first trial."

"Trial? I'm not like Heracles am I?"

"Haha, I see my son raised you to know all the important of our past." Apollo said, saddened again. He handed Rho back his Astrolobe, which thankfully now had a clock on it, reading 5am, 'Wasted most of the morning my ass Thalia.' He thought. "No, I'm simply saying your quest will not end anytime soon. My advice to you, Nephew. Don't run out of Time."

Apollo stood up, walking towards a clearing where a bright red Maserati was parked. "No so much of a chariot anymore is see."

"In keeping up with the times and what not." Apollo smirked, getting into the driver's seat. "Oh I almost forgot." He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a glass phial. "Should you need something to save your life, put it in here, its bottomless, so whatever is inside it shall never run out."

"Thanks." Rho said, confused as to why he would need such a small bottle.

"Oh, one more thing." Apollo said, starting the engine, revving loudly. "Thalia is very… explosive, much like father. But, stick with her." And with that the car began to fly into the sky, rocketing towards the horizon, and just as it disappeared the sun rose over the distance.

Rho looked at the glass phial, shrugged and put it in his bag and then swinging that over his shoulder. He stopped, looking down by the fire to find a silver bracelet. He turned to where Thalia had stormed off, sighing loudly and heading off to find her.

* * *

He made his way through the pines, the forest was not dense but even so Rho could not see any sign of where she went. He descended down the sloping hill, the canopy of the tree's sometimes opening out to bring mountain ranges into the distance, white tipped and all too familiar to Rho. Again and again visions from his dream came true, and when it happened just like then his spine would shiver, a sign of bad things to come.

He stopped, a noise catching the tip of his hearing. He closed his eyes, using his hunter sensed to see where it was coming from. He could hear it, a feint smacking. No, pouring sound, flowing water. Upon hearing the sound his throat felt dry, so he decided it was as good a place to start trying to find her as any. He checked the air again for anything strange, but was happy with it and headed towards the water.

He was walking parallel to the in-climb now, and as he got nearer to the sound the forest became more rocky and dense, ferns and needles trying to cut into him but his silver jacket protecting him from the sharp plants for the most part, though his arms got pricked a few times. He could see the stream now, the clear water running down the hill through thin grooves in the ground, branching of at times but then meeting again. He cupped his hands in the water, and sipped the cool drink. He looked back at the water, and almost froze.

A red strand flowed past him, followed by more ribbons of crimson. He could tell it was blood just by looking at it, and it was enough for his heart to skip a few beats and then start thumbing in panic and worry. He stood up and began to run upstream, his brain no longer thinking, his emotions that told him to summon his bow, to jump over the rocks in his way, to sidestep the trees that blocked his path towards the thing he hoped wasn't true.

'She couldn't be, not now not when I need her.'

He could hear the running water become more prominent, heavy crashing echoed from in front of him. He looked down at the stream again, and found more strands of blood flowing with dirt and grit, all the more reason for him to sprint again. He focused on his running now, sound being drowned out by his beating heart and the roaring water. He could see it, a clearing in the trees, water falling from a tall slope and falling over the edge. He was almost there, he was so close, he just hoped he wasn't too late, and when he broke the shadows of the trees and into the clearings light he saw her. He raised his bow, but his eyes widened, and his whole body became numb.

The water cascaded down the girl's skin, shimmering in the morning light that shone onto the clearing. She was standing under the waterfall, her hands traced through her short black hair, over her perfectly sized breasts, neither too big nor too small, and then comb through her ebony hair again as she felt the cooling water cleanse her skin of impurities.

Rho stood there, his stomach contorting from the butterflies and his nose filled with the metallic scent of an oncoming nosebleed. As Rho looked upon her from head to toe, it seems as though the beauty of her legs continue to linger, from her waist to the tip of her toes. He could feel his face flush, and knew it was almost wrong to spy on her in such and intimate way, but he couldn't draw his eyes away from her perfection, her beauty. He couldn't think of anything more beautiful than her. He felt temptation to drop everything, stroll into the pool of water and join her. He felt the temptation to run his hands up the small of her back, watch as her neck bent back in pleasure as he kissed it, ravished it, love it. He wanted nothing more than to do that to that moment as lost his grip on his rucksack and it fell to the ground and landed with a noise that reached her ears.

Thalia immediately turned to the noise, and upon seeing him standing there observing her naked flesh her face boiled in anger mortified. She dived under the shallow water, hiding herself from him. "OH MY GODS WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

Rho immediately regained sense, and then he realized just what he was doing, and he turned around, his ears burning. "I-I'm sorry I just, I saw the blood down river and thought-"

By not Rho could smell ozone in the air, and the sun was suddenly blocked out by dark clouds. "Get… Out." Thalia said, her voice not one to be argued with.

"Yep okay I'll be doing that." He said picking up his bag and almost running down the hill. He looked up to the crackling clouds, hoping that Zeus hadn't seen anything, or his mother for that fact. After he was back at the par of the stream he drank as he sat down, splashing his face with water and feeling like punching himself very hard in the face. How could he have been so stupid, he knew what he had done was wrong, but why did watching her feel so, right in a way?

It was a few minutes before he saw Thalia storming towards him, her spear in her hand and her burning electric blue eyes aiming right at him. He stood up, backing away from her slowly. "Look, I swear I didn't mean to… I wasn't trying to… I certainly wasn't-"

She didn't take kindly to him talking, and punched him in the chest, pushing him against a tree and putting the blade of her spear against his throat. "Give me one. One good reason why I shouldn't kill you right _keendehross_."

"Firstly, I didn't mean to." She pressed even further into his throat, her eyes ready to cause him as much pain as possible. She really was a daughter of Zeus. "Secondly, I found this at camp and was returning it to you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out her bracelet, which she looked at, and then looked at her empty wrist. She snatched it from him and removed the blade from his throat. She attached it back to her arm and put her spear back into its mace can. Rho rubbed his neck where the blade was against him. "Look, I saw blood flowing down the stream and though you and been hurt so… I'm sorry I wasn't thinking I should have known you can take care of yourself."

She turned away from him, hiding her face. "You think I can take care of myself?" She asked, her voice light and soft, which caught him of guard completely. She sounded the same as the night before, vulnerable and delicate.

"Erm… Well yeah. You were made lieutenant weren't you? I can see why."

She could have sworn he saw her cheeks raise slightly in a smile, but it was quickly replaced by anger again. She turned to him, sparks could almost be seen flying between them. "If I ever even see you looking at me funny, I will fry your eyeballs. Understood?"

"Perfectly."

* * *

The forest finally ended in tall rocky hills, which they crossed over quickly since neither of them talked. Rho did know what to say really, he could tell even if he uttered a single word she might send a bolt of lightning down on him, so he kept his mouth shut. Finally that made it to what seemed like civilisation, a rich suburb of mansions and green gardens that stood out against the brown landscape. Soon they made it into a small town, a sigh on the road quoted "Springville."

He finally risked opening his mouth. "Want to stop for some lunch?" He made sure to be ready to dash for the nearest cover.

"Sure." She said, with a surprising degree of positives. He was sceptical, but they eventually found a small diner which they walked into, sitting across from each other at a table, Thalia giving him a look as if daring him to look bad so she could Taser him. A women rolled over to them on skates that were hidden under a long skirt. "What can I get ya young lover buds?" Something was off about this woman, maybe it was the way she walked. Or skated.

"We're not-" Rho began.

"We would love to share the daily special." Thalia said with a big smile on her face. "Oh and one cheeseburger if you have it."

"Coming right up." The woman rolled off.

Rho turned back to her with an astounded look. "What are you doing?"

"I have a craving for cheeseburgers." Thalia said, still smiling rather cutely, but then turned into a deathly glower. "Do you have a problem with that, honey?"

"No problem at all." Rho said slumping back on his chair defeated.

Their food arrived, the waitress smiled as she handed Thalia here burgers and Rho some kind of potato soup. "Enjoy ya spud water." And walked off.

Rho looked at the potato soup, not disgusted by it but it wasn't his favourite. He looked enviously at Thalia's burger, licking his lips. She looked at him as she picked it up and took a huge, ravenous bite, chewing slowly, mocking him. He just mouthed a few words and turned to his soup, and was about to pick up his spoon but just as he was a jolt of electricity hit him where he tried to pick it up. "Ouch, the fuck was…"

He looked up to see Thalia stifling her hysterics, a spark streaming along a dagger she had poking over the table, pointing at his spoon. "Really?"

"Aren't you gunna eat your soup? You spent all this money you should eat it." She said, taking another bite. He tired his spoon again, but it met similar results, his skin burning and the hairs on his arms standing on end.

He tried on last time, watching her to see if she would send the jolt, but she had lost interest, putting the dagger down and focusing her attention on destroying her meal. He ate (or drank?) his own bland soup, but watched her as she ate. He noticed that even when eating a greasy, fat filled burger there was still an air of charm to her. She noticed him watching her mid-bite, and slowly chewed and covered her mouth to speak. "You're looking at me funny." He continued to look at her, a smile crossing his face as he noticed her blush a little. "You're looking at me stop it!" She said, her mouth still full of food, which Rho found incredible funny.

She finally swallowed just to reach across the table to smack him over the head, but it wasn't a hard hit, more playful if anything. "What is so funny?" She laughed with him, and he felt then share a moment of normal, something he hadn't felt in a while. They were just two people, sitting eating lunch at a diner.

The waitress came over when they had finished with the bill and a smile. "You are the first visitors we had in yownks. Not since the lake got polluted and what not."

"Polluted?" Rho asked.

"All that global warning frick." She said, stacking the plates and the bowls. "It's gotten even worse recently, people keep goin' out on the crick, never return'n." The waitress smiled when Rho gave her the cash from his bag and rolled away.

"Lake Utah. I saw that lake in a dream." He told Thalia as they walked out of the diner. "Or-Someone told me to go there."

"In your dream?" Thalia said. "Dreams for Demi-gods are vivid for a reason, if someone told you there's something in the lake."

"It's not in the lake." He told her. "It's on it."


	12. Chtp 12 - A Romantic Boat Ride (Or Not)

Chapter 12-

They strolled up to the edge of the russet water. It had just gone midday and a chill wind breezed across from the lake. Rho stared at the arrow on his Astrolobe, frowning. "Yeah, it says that we have to get across here."

Thalia picked up a rock, threw it into the water with a loud *splosh*. "As safe as it looks, I wouldn't want to swim in that." She pointed to the various amounts of garbage and barrels floating in small rafts.

"Agreed." They walked back along the shore. Rho looked across the water, the sun shimmering like a mirage across the water. "In my dream, there was an island hidden by Mist in the centre of the lake."

"Then that's where we're headed." Thalia said, her voice full of determination and confidence his lacked. Truth was he wasn't very sure he was capable of whatever he was supposed to do on this quest. What was his goal? Did he even have one? He just seemed to have been placed on this quest by the gods for no reason, and sure, Camp Half Blood was in danger, but what good was sending himself on a suicide mission? He regretted volunteering for a solo mission to stop a force he didn't even fully understand.

"You okay?" He jumped out of his thoughts. Thalia had stopped, grabbing his arm and looking at him with a worried expression. There she was again, suddenly all nice and caring. He felt like he should lash out and get angry, but as he looked into her azure eyes, he lost all his resentment. How did she have so much effect on him?

"I'm fine." He said, smiling at her and receiving a small smile in return. She took a while to let loose the grip on his arm, and eventually they carried on to a boat station by a small jetty with row boats docked. The town had been quiet enough, but the dock was practically abandoned. Rho checked at a wooden shack with a sigh above it labelled 'Boat hire', but no one was home, and a paper poster over the counter read 'Closing down due to lack of customers.'

"Don't think we can get much help here." Rho said, turning round to see Thalia unlooping a boat from the dock. He ran towards her. "What are you doing?"

"Got a better idea?" She said, throwing a pair of oars at him which he caught. "Besides, we'll return it." Rho looked at her disapprovingly, but she was right. They jumped into the row boat and Rho kicked them away from the quay. He sat back down into boat, looking up at Thalia who had an expectant grin. "Well?" She motioned to the oars. He rolled his eyes, placing the oars in the crouches and began to row out onto the lake.

Rho rowed his boat gently over the murky lake, and it was tough going. It wasn't the wind trying to deny any kind of progress through the water, but the water itself seemed to try and push the boat away. It wasn't a very merry voyage, especially since Thalia didn't seem to be interested in helping him paddle. His arms began to ache.

"Why are we slowing?" Thalia said, her voice mocking.

"I thought you would want this romantic boat ride to last." He grinned, receiving a glare, thankfully not a thunderbolt, in return. They neared the centre of the lake, and the closer they got the more the shimmering became prominent. "That's defiantly Mist right?"

"For sure." Thalia said turning in the boat to get a better look. "It not got any attention from mortals. It's so powerful they won't even hire boats anymore."

A deafening pitch hit Rho's ears at that moment, and he dropped the oars he was holding. He covered his ears, screwing his eyes shut as the pain moved to his forehead, pounding against his skull. "What is that?!" He tried to yell but the screaming came through his hands and blocked out his voice.

He managed to open his eyes to see Thalia, doubled over in pain her hands on her ears as well. She locked eyes with him, mouthing words he couldn't hear over the noise, but he guessed it was similar to his own, be it with additional cuss words.

The boat shuddered under them, then rocked as a force hit is from beneath the surface. Thalia fell into him and he caught her, only to be hit again launching them both of them into the centre of the boat. Rho sat back up, frantically trying to get a look who was attacking them over the shrieking. And then he saw them.

They peaked out of the water. Their beaks long, there hair matted and soaked. They had the eyes of a woman, but they burned with hunger and hate, more than any of the hunters had given him. Two more came to the surface, and Rho summoned his bow, but as he drew and arrow, the boat got knocked again as another smacked the hull.

Thalia stood up, pulling out her shield and turning the face of it to the monsters. They screeched at the picture of Medusa emblazoned on the bronze. The four monsters dived under the water, and the whaling subsided. Rho picked an arrow and notched it, aimed at anything in the water. "What were those?"

She pulled a bow of her own. "I don't know. I haven't heard a cry like that. Did you feel compelled to do anything?"

"I felt compelled to rip out my eardrums if that's what you mean." He shouted, his forehead throbbing. "Wait, you think their…?"

"Sirens." She finished. "Another failed mixture of monsters. They don't have wings like they should, they swim."

"Whoever is making these monsters needs a recipe book." Rho muttered, hearing a slight chuckle from Thalia. "Think they will be back?"

He wished he didn't ask that. As soon as he finished talking the boat's underbelly was hit again, knocking them into each other. The wood under them creaked, another hit and it would surely break a pew planks.

"Thalia." Rho said, realising the inevitable. "We are gunna have to jump."

"Did you not understand me the first time?" She yelled at him. "I do not want to swim in this."

The boat was hit again, and a plank creaked open, and water seeped into the craft. Thalia looked at him, closing her eyes and putting her shield away. "For the love of… Jump!" Rho put his bow back into its ring, and pulled his sword, diving into the water as one of the Fish-Sirens burst through the bottom of the boat. Rho just caught sight of a scaly webbed feet just before he crashed under the water's surface.

He pulled himself through the water, his arms flailing in any direction with his sword to stop any attack. He risked opening his eyes, but the water stung his eyes and he could only see murky green. He tried to swim upwards, the burning from his lungs telling him his breath was almost out, but as he frogged his way towards the air something hit him from his back, making him let go of his breath which he heard bubble to the surface.

He desperately tried to swim fast to the surface, his lungs compressing first uncomfortably then painfully. The more he tried to swim up the more he was attacked from random directions, and the more he was attacked the more his lungs lusted for air. He cried out a silent roar, and vile tasting water washed down his gullet, drowning out what little air he has been running on.

He faced it, deaths door, he reached frantically for the air above him, and his hand broke the surface, and with a last kick he burst into the air. He spluttered the water from his throat, opening his eyes to the blinding sun. He was thankfully still holding his sword, and his backpack was intact. He floated on the water searching around him, coughing up the last of the water to shout. "Thalia!"

She emerged next to him, coughing with a dagger in her hand. She grabbed onto him, looking him in the eye. "This was the WORST idea I have ever agreed to."

"Really? I think this is the highlight of my day!"

A hand gripped around his ankle, pulling him under again, but Thalia did not lose her grip, and this time as Rho went under his eyes saw the true horrors that were attacking them. A female body, wrapped in scales from the waist down with fins with hands attached for arms. A long beak where to mouth should be, and webbed feet with talons.

He swung his sword downwards to the Fish-Siren. The water resistance was enough to not make the slice very effective, but it was enough to get the monster to release his foot, and he surfaced again. He clasped onto Thalia, determined not to go under again.

"I take it back, I preferred it when you had a spear to my throat."

"Left!" He moved out of her way as a monster jumped from the water, claws and talons bared. Thalia pushed of his legs under the water, enough to launch her forwards into the air as he was forced down slightly. She met the monster in the air, pushing her dagger hitting it in the heart and sending it to dust. She splashed back into the water, swimming back to him smiling at her accomplishment. But behind her, the water broke away, revealing the other three Sirens, their faces livid with anger for their fallen sister. Rho's face gave away the danger to her, and her smile dropped.

"Thalia, duck."

Rho threw his sword from his hand. The sword spun in the air as it hit a lunging Siren and knocked her hilt-end on the beak. The other Sirens dived under the water, and Rho grabbed Thalia and swam with her in the opposite direction. There was no land nearby, but he directed her towards the shimmer, hoping that his dream was true and there was an island hidden under the vail of Mist.

As he swam closer and closer to the where he hoped salvation lied, Sirens struck his ankles, his leg, anything to slow his progress. Thalia was having similar trouble. The flickering vail was at Rho's fingertips now, he reached out, crying out in anguish.

He touched the Mist, and instantly the mirage shattered and rock, grass, sand materialized a short distance away as the hidden island revealed itself. Rho couldn't help but smile, but it wasn't over yet, as the Sirens increased their attacks, and one surfaced from the water, opening its beak and resuming its shrieking again.

The scream hit Rhonan's ears again, making his muscles spasm in pain. He lost his tread, and sank into the water, but as he submerged under the water the screaming changed. The Siren's deafening high pitched cry change under the water, and was now an euphonious trill of beauty. The words she sang were old, ancient, so deep in meaning Rho was lost in them, entranced by them. His vison blurred, his muscles lost all feeling, and he had no idea of how much air he had left, nor cared. All he heard was this voice, a voice that was calming him as he sank deeper into the dark lake.

* * *

Rho opened his eyes to the purple cosmos. He was in the sky again, flying high above the earth next to stars and planets alike. He looked at his hands, dry of water and not a scratch. Was he dead? He looked around him, looking for the face of his father who he knew should be here.

"Hello?" A finger tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped back, then relaxed as he looked at his father's face. "Oh, good, you're alive."

"If I was alive I wouldn't be in this situation."

"Well I know that but…" Rho was stunned to hear the husky but happy voice. "Wait, you can talk!"

"I haven't talked for a long time." He said, clapping his hand on Rho shoulders a warm smile on his transparent face, his eyes still dim but still brilliant enough for Rho to smile into. "Finally I am strong enough. It is good to finally speak to you Rho. There is something you should know about me. Rho, I am…"

"My father?"

Orion seemed to blink, or more flicker in front of him in surprise. "You ruined the one thing I love about this age of time."

"Star Wars is your favorite thing about modern civilization?"

"I really like Darth Vader."

"Right never mind." Rho sighed. "So, am I dead?"

"Oh no, you're very much alive." Orion laughed. "My son wouldn't let a bunch of poorly created Sirens kill him."

"Then, why am I here?" Rho asked.

"The island. It is under the control of Gorgons. Medusa's powerful sisters, Stheno and Euryale. They are creating monsters for Kronos's army using the Scepter of Phanes."

"Phanes?"

"Primordial of Creation. Life itself made flesh, his scepter was used to mold the universe, and now Stheno and her sister are using it to create monsters. You must take the scepter, return it to Olympus."

Rho felt like his stomach was still in his body drowning in the lake. So this was his quest, fight two murderous Gorgons, take the scepter that had the magical power to create things, and return it to Olympus. He hadn't heard anything about the two Grogon's, Stheno and Euryale, but hoped they were nothing like their stone turning sister. But, he had his quest. He clasped his hands, whitening his knuckles in anticipation.

"Oh, we have not much time my son."

Rho looked up sadly to his fathers outline. He found it hard to believe that the father he had imagined was dead. He knew it was a possibility all these years, but he didn't knock the fact they still could somehow talk. "I hope this isn't the last, I want to talk to you about everything."

"You're mother could hear you from your spot on the water tower, but I could always see you from the stars." His fathee smiled. "And I bought you here to tell you something else, Rhonan." He beckoned him to come closer. Rho leaned in to listen, and Orion slapped him around the face, his hand becoming solid on impact, and Rho's vision ended in white light and stinging eyes.

* * *

His eyes flew open, the dirty water stinging his eyes but he didn't care. The song was still playing but fought against it, his will stronger somehow. He started swimming upwards, on what little breath he had left. Words swirled around his brain, telling him to give up, to let his quest end, but he screamed at them no.

The water was so musky he could only guess, and hope, the light above him was the surface. His arm brush against something, and he turned his head to see bubbles raising from an unconscious Thalia. His insides lurched with worry, and he grabbed her arm and kicked upwards, trying to reach the open air.

'Come on. Just a little further, I can't let her die.'

They broke the water. Rho gasped and let the blissfully fresh air fill his lungs. He pulled Thalia into his chest, trying above all else keep her head above water. The screeching had stopped, the Sirens no were to be seen. He looked behind him, and somehow they had floated closer to the island's beach. He kicked his legs to push them backwards, and she coughed, spluttering water out of her windpipe. He didn't speak, he just continued to help her to the beach.

He kept expecting an attack from all sides but none came, which he was glad since they soon he found his feet hitting a soft floor. He was soon up to his neck, then his belly, then only his waist was submerged as he dragged Thalia to the shore.

He finally managed to pull her from the water, falling to the floor from exhaustions. Thalia had regain enough strength to drag herself next to him, still taking deep blissful breaths.

He finally tried to speak. "That… Was the second… time I saved you." He said between breaths. Thalia just looked at him, panting alongside him, then her eyes turned electric, and she sat up as she shot a bolt of lightning into the water, and he watched as it hit a jumping Siren sending her flying back into the water as ash.

"I don't need to be saved." She said defiantly, getting into a crouch and then walking away from him closer to the lush green tree line. Rho lay there, slamming his hand into the sand out of frustration.

"Not even a thank you."


	13. Chapter 13 - Things Go from Bad

Chapter 13 –

Rho had gotten pretty sick with Thalia storming off all the time. He could hear her ahead of him this time, but nothing else. The island was larger than he would have first thought, and the fact he had lost his sword against the Sirens made his job all the more difficult to cut through the thick tropical forest, and with Thalia angry at him for saving her life, this quest wasn't going a very good way.

The island seemed nice enough however. Lush green tree's definitely not native to America were left and right with no clear path between them. The whole land seemed to be covered in sand, which he didn't mind but made his progress slow over unknown terrain with wet clothes to add to his troubles. The only noises where the light feet falling into the sand with faint shushes infront of him, and the leaf jungle begin torn through with loud brushes.

"Thalia hold on!"

She stopped, turning on her heels to face him with angry but upset eyes. Her wet hair wasn't long enough to cling to her face but droplets fell over her eyes making her blink on occasion. She hadn't a weapon drawn which was a good sign. He stopped, looking into those sad eyes and feeling guilty, even if he had just saved her. "I don't need you to be there to save me all the time, okay? I'm perfectly able to save myself."

Rho looked at his feet, not sure if he should be annoyed at himself or not. "Look, I just don't want to-"

"To what?" She said, her voice getting angrier but her eyes getting closer and closer to crying.

"To go on without you."

She stopped. "What?" But he moved his hand to her mouth, and as she was about to protest he put a finger to his own indicating to be quiet. She eventually pulled down his hand and her looked around the treeline listening. "What is I-"

He has noticed it just as he finished his sentence. "It's quiet." He said summoning his bow and pulling an arrow ready. Then she heard it to, silence, not even a breeze brushed at their ankles or swung the leaves. He closed his eyes, letting his senses scan the surroundings, and soon his fears where confirmed. "Two Cyclops. About two dozen Empousai, and an uncountable amount of minor monsters."

Thalia pulled out her bow ready. "Sounds simple."

"Oh and what looks like a Minotaur." He said wrenching his nose away from that new smell he quickly detested.

"That's a little harder." She admitted, and sensed her smirk of glee at the prospect at a challenge. "How long we got?"

"Until around now."

The first of the monsters burst out of the trees at them, a giant half lion half something Rho could only guess was a badger for the bottom half. It pounced at him, but he was quicker to notch and arrow and send it straight into dust with a direct hit to the belly. Then the other monsters converged, from all sides came horrible deformed and some downright wrong combinations of animals that hobbled on mismatched feet and arms.

He fired arrow after arrow into the creatures. Not taking too long to see exactly what they were made of and almost glad for it after he glanced at what looked like a Corgi and a Crow mix. Two Empusai dived at him with metal faces and donkey hooves, their fiery legs attempting to kick the bow from his hands. He pulled an arrow from his quiver, using it to slash at the attacking horrors. One managed a lucky blow to his arm, the heat burning his clothes and making him drop his guard enough for one to head butt into him. His eyes flashed as the bronze hit his temple and he staggered into Thalia, and they stood back-to-back.

"Where's that Minotaur you promise me?" She said, panting but her tone one of giddy enjoyment.

She got what she asked for, and it burst into the arena, a wooden club in its hand, its head patched with fur and one horned. It was more human than bull, and its roar was a scream of pure anger at its existence and wanted nothing more than to hurt everything around it. It was huge, almost double Rho's size, and Thalia was eyeing it up with a blood lust. She drew her dagger and slice through a Cyclops's leg while running to her target.

The Cyclops fell to the ground clutching its leg. Rho turned to it, notching an arrow and sending it into its eye. It screamed in more pain, flailing in the direction where Rho had been. He pulled another arrow and sent it into the monsters eye again. It fell to the floor in more pain, rolling around on its back blinded.

Rho caught sight of Thalia, the Minotaur sending its huge tree trunk like club so close it almost crushed her. But she dodged it and drove her daggers into its arms, making it roar in pain. He admired her for a second, the way she fought so effortlessly and with an adorable smile on her face.

He was pulled out of his trance by a sudden blow to the back of his neck. He fell to the ground, getting up quickly to see the other Cyclops bringing his fist down towards him, and he rolled just in time to save him being crushed. He stood back up, notching another arrow but was cut off but an approaching Empousa and change targets, sending the flaming haired monster to dust.

He turned back to the Cyclops who punched him, who came for a second blow but hit his jacket, sending Rho backwards but he felt lucky the bone-breaking blow has been lessened by the magical material of his jacket. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and waited for the Cyclopes to make another stupid attempt and rush him. It did so, predictably, and he swiped his arrow as he moved between its arms to pincer him, the tip slicing the monsters side. The monster didn't have time to cry out as it turned only for Rho to have notched the arrow and driving it into its heart.

More monsters came from the trees. The onslaught seemed almost endless, monster after monster jumping at him, gaining more ground towards with every wave, and with no sword he had no chance if they came close. More misshapen animals attacked him, his quiver living up to its "infinity" name. He took cover behind a tree, climbing a low branch to get the high ground as he sent a volley downwards on any monster that caught his eyes, all meeting there marks. The adrenalin of battle had made him even more accurate, his confidence with a bow second to that of his mother he felt. He could go on for hours.

Then behind him he heard a scream, and when he turned his head to the ground a short distance away. He saw Thalia, trapped in a bone-crushing hug from the Minotaur. Rho gripped his bow, and was about to notch another arrow and send it straight into the Minotaur's eye when he was knocked off his branch.

He fell through the air, landing his back hard against the branch and down to the floor against its trunk, slumping down it slightly. His bow transformed itself back to its ring. His vision was dazed but he felt two strong arms grab his wrists, forcing him to a stand. He glanced to his sides, seeing the Cyclops still clutching its eye with its other hand, moaning slightly in pain. The Minotaur moved next to him, Thalia still struggling under its strength but unable to free her arms. An Empousia hobbled over on iron legs, grinning with pleasure. Rho heard the shrill voice as he lost consciousness.

"Take them to Stheno."

* * *

A snake. Giant in size and red in colour, slithering towards him, hissing its tongue tasting the air. It tasted him, he knew. It was heading straight for him, baring its venom covered tusks and he couldn't move, couldn't run away from the horror that would kill him here he stood. Now there were two, two snakes. The other one green scaled, with stone cold eyes that bore into him. They reached him, their bodies towering over him with hungry eyes, and the last thing he saw was their teeth…

And with his hand, he stretched out, holding a bright light into the serpents faces.

* * *

He awoke, gasping for air as a hooded figure backed away from him, screeching in pain. He was chained against a rock at the edge of a clearing, the new moon above them in the sky. The circle was filled with monsters, some still mismatched and disfigured, but now there were perfect monsters. Empousia with flaming hair and bronze legs. Cyclops' with one eye and not three. Thalia was no were to be seen, which made him fill with worry.

The hooded figure hissed like the serpent in his dream, and as it pulled down its hood green snakes writhed under its edges, coiling towards the open and still covered the face of the women under the cloak's face, but he knew already who this monster was.

"Stheno."

The women's face came into view, thin, defined and twisted in sadistic pleasure. Her eyes were black, boaring into him but not turning him to stone like her famed sister. Her lips were red, almost dripping crimson, and from the side of her mouth two sharp incisors protruded adding to her murderous grin. Her clothes were brilliant white but already had dirty stains near her ankles.

"It's nice to see my fame proceeds me." Her voice was shrill, and her syllables resonated on her tongue like a hiss. "And it seems that they overestimated you, Son of Artemis." Rho tried to stand but his hands were chained to the rock. "No use escaping boy, you're my prisoner now."

"Oh joy."

Stheno grinned even more. "Comfortable? I haven't chained someone to a rock in centuries I hope I haven't forgotten how to be an affluent host. Unfortunately I don't have my sister's power to turn you too stone with a single look, it would make things easier but I find this just as enjoyable." Her voice was cold and malicious, and her breath smelt acidic and vial. Rho felt bile in his throat. "Back when I was young I could barely contain myself and just tear my guests limb from limb there and then, but don't worry I won't do that… yet." She snickered.

Rho put on a sarcastic smile. "Oh no this is just about the nicest thing I've been pinned up against today."

Stheno cackled. "So boy, how did you find this island? Did that _nekros_ father of yours point in my direction? Or was it your dear uncle, giving you the right tools for the job?" as she said this she held out her long fingers and his Astrolabe dropped but its chain, hanging in her palm. "Even the dead and the dying refuse to keep quiet sometimes."

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed his ring was still over his finger, but he knew activating it would only lead to it being taken from him, and him losing his only defence. He kept the conversation going. "Where's Thalia?" He demanded.

"Oh that pretty little spark? My sister is taking very good care of her." She smirked. She leant in close to Rho, so close he could smell the metallic tang of blood. "You know, I am going to enjoy using you too further our plan."

Rho felt like if he could, ripping this monsters head of would be a very pleasurable option.

"Take a look boy." She said, gesturing to the monsters that surrounded them. "My children, my creation. Aren't they beautiful? The Gods declare the creation of monster a taboo, they forbid it. But then again I never really gave the Gods enough love to care what they declare, not since they turned me to... This." She indicated to her snakes, her fangs. "I was hoping they would send that spawn of Poseidon on the 'Quest', but I guess the forbidden child of Artemis will do."

"Percy?" he regretting saying his name. Stheno screamed at him, and he felt his chains tighten and he was forced against the rock. Next thing he knew a hand was slapping across his face leaving his cheek raw and stinging again the breeze. She had the chains under her spell then, that's why they were so tight.

"That Poseidon was the one who started all of this!" She shrieked. "If my sister hadn't been so weak and forced of the advances of that licentious God. Killing the son he loves so much we have been adequate revenge but I guess that will have to wait."

Then Rho suddenly remembered who Stheno was. Her sister, Medusa, was raped by Poseidon in the Temple of Athena, and Athena was so angry she turned Medusa into a Gorgon, with snake hair and a gaze to turn men to stone. When Stheno and her other sister Euryale tried to stand up for her sister, they too suffered her fate. Stheno was always the most murderous of all the Gorgons.

"Sister!" another hissing voice said, and from the trees another snaked haired women emerged, her scaly serpent hair red as rubies. Her face was different to her sister, more chubby and her eyes were had nothing of the sadistic murder of her parallel. Along with her came the Minotaur, heavily bandaged and limping, still carrying Thalia. His heart leaped as he saw the cuts in her brow and the light breathing in her chest. She was hurt bad. Rho gritted his teeth, he was determined to make sure both these snake heads payed.

"Sister, the girl revealed noting, she is stubborn?" the red haired Euryale asked.

"What did you do to her?" Rho asked his voice low.

Euryale smiled wickedly, but not as confident as her sister. "Just some gentle persuasion boy. She will tell you all about it when she wakes up. That is if she does ever wake up."

Rho tried to get up from his chains and slice the monsters throat there and then, but the chains were tight and he couldn't escape. Stheno just laughed. "Isnt that just precious sister? The little hunter cares for the forbidden Maiden, oh this is rich, I haven't had this much fun in years."

"I swear on the River Styx, I will shoot my mother's blessing straight through your neck, beast."

They looked at him silent. The corner of Euryale's mouth twitched but Stheno just stared. He didn't know where the words came from, it was a low growl, a voice he didn't know he had revealing itself, but he had meant every word. Thunder sounded above them. His promise had to be meet, and he would be all to glad to do so if he could just get out of his prison.

"Well boy." Stheno said. "I'm afraid you won't have the chance." Stheno strolled over to where the Minotaur had Thalia, and she gripped her sharp claws around the girl's neck, taking her from the Minotaur. Rho could only watch the panicked and pained expression on Thalia's worn face as the Gorgon took her to a table, more of an altar, and place her atop of it. Thalia stirred, and her eyes fluttered open weakly.

"Thalia!" Rho shouted, his wrists becoming raw against the chains he struggled against, but as he kept trying, he had to get free.

"It's no use boy." Stheno cooed. "Her life will create countless others, it won't be in vain." Stheno lifted her hand, and a bright light sparked around it, and once it faded in her hands was a golden stick, almost like a club, encrusted with purple jewels like rocks, uncut yet beautiful still.

"Thalia wake up!" He cried, the bonds holding strong. He needed more time, he knew he could break them. She turned her head, her eyes glassy and her expression defeated and battered. Her hair was stained with blood as it fell across the table slightly. She looked at him unable to speak.

"You have to get up, come on I know you can get up." His cries were frantic but firm. He knew she could do it, she was strong, strong enough to save herself. And then it clicked. He pulled against his chains again to get as close as he could, trying to call at her as loud as he could. "You said you can save yourself right? Or do you want me to do it again?"

That done it.

She grinned slightly at the challenge, knowing what he was trying to do and thankful for it at least. Above them storm could gathered again, but this time the thunder was met by lightning, lightning that hit the alter with such force Stheno and Euryale were flung backwards. Rho shut his eyes from the bright flash as monsters around the alter evaporated to dust were they stood before they even knew what was happening.

Rho felt the chains holding him become loose, and he took his chance and yanked them, and felt their connection to the rock break and his right hand was free, and his left, and finally he could stand up and run to the alter the girl was still laying on, now unmoving completely.

He reached the table. Thalia was unharmed by the lightning but now he could see the wounds from before. Deep cuts had been made on her lower arms, not so deep they wouldn't bleed and heal over but enough to cause pain and keep them open. Her face was dirty from sweat of torture, and her eyes were cloudy, unseeing of everything around her even him. He gripped her hand tight, placing his hand on her heart and thankfully getting a single slow rhythm in response.

Behind him he heard shuffling feet and he turned just in time to duck under a savage swipe by Euryale who had recovered, her face burned and some snakes hanging limp. He kicked her in the stomach, and once she was a safe distance away he touched the symbol on his bow, quickly notching an arrow and firing, but Euryale had already gotten support from surviving monsters, who took the hit for her.

Stheno had gotten up to, green blood dripping from a nasty burn. "Clever trick boy, I should have known that fancy jewel was more than a trinket to your mother."

"Remember that promise?" He said, his voice full of anger. "I'll be doing that now."

The monsters attack, left and right they swarmed him but he ducked dodged and fired at them sending dust onto the already sandy ground. The Minotaur charged him and just barely he managed to dive out the way, but he was not its target. It was stumbling towards the alter, its one horn set on Thalia. Rho closed his eyes, trying to put aside the panic for a second to quicken himself but he didn't need to. He heard the Minotaur run, the way it ran, he didn't need to slow himself down to shoot it he could just fire where he knew where it would go. This was a new instinct, one of surety. He could make this shot.

So he pulled his bow up and fired, and it hit the Minotaur's leg pinning him to the ground. The monster roared in pain clutching its bloody leg but couldn't get up the arrow was so far lodged into its leg. His arrows seemed to only move by his hand. Rho took his chance and ran for it, pulling out and arrow and stabbing it into the Minotaur's head. It roared again, but then went still and he ripped it out sideways, and it slowly dissolved to dust.

Behind him he heard Stheno cry in anguish. "My beautiful Minotaur!"

Pulled a dagger from under her dress and ran at him. He underestimated her speed and had to move left to avoid a killing swipe. He came back up, swiping with an arrow to drive her back but she was too enraged to care. Her sister was also pulling a dagger out, and looked ready to join in with her sister. Rho caught Thalia in the corner of his eye. He knew if he didn't get this finished with quickly it might be the end. He gritted his teeth, his heart pumping adrenaline everywhere and anywhere and he lunged at Stheno. The monster blocked with her blade and racked her claws across Rho's neck. He yelled in pain as he felt hot blood fall onto his Jacket shoulders. His guard was lowered and Euryale had come in trying to send a knife into his back, but the jacket stopped the blade cutting into it but he still stumbled away from the painful blow.

Now it was just them, all monsters gone just him and the two snake haired sisters. Both of them livid with anger and him the same. Thalia needed him, he had to finish this.

"Argh. Give up boy!" Euryale said. "Our job is already finished. Give up and consider your death quick and your trip to the underworld short."

'Already Finished?'

"What is driving you boy?" Stheno laughed. "Is it the girl? Is it the Gods? Your Mother? Soon they will all be gone, so what do you still have left to fight for?"

Rho pulled the string on his bow tight. "Right now? I'm running of the notation of how satisfying it would be to kill you." But at the end of his lips more words spilled out, uncontained but not untrue. 'To save her.'

And Stheno roar was cut off as her voice was replaced by gargling. Rho has sent the arrow where he promised, straight into her neck. She turned to her sister, who screeched in horror as the green blood dripped from the wound. Rho notched another arrow, not giving a second thought as he put all his strength into pulling back the string and firing the arrow. It met the other side of Stheno's throat, and carried on through it, the force ripping the head from the shoulders.

"No!" Euryale screamed as her sisters limp body fell to the floor as her head rolled to a stop, the surprised expression still printed on it. Euryale screech continued and Rho pulled another arrow for her, but as he did a Cyclops came from her left, scooping her up and taking her off swiftly into the forest.

Rho dropped to his knees as they finally gave out, his breathing heavy and his heart racing. The gash on his neck burned, but he stood up regardless and ran to Thalia again as quickly as he could. He passed over the body of Stheno, and in one of her still warm hands was his Astrolobe which he quickly grabbed and ran to Thalia's side. Her eyes were closed now, and her breathing even lighter than before. He picked her up, one arm around her clenched tightly to keep her from falling, and also partly for him to protect her from anything.

He lifted her onto his back and was about to make a beeline anywhere that wasn't where they were but then he stopped when his foot his against something. He was almost sick when he realised it was the head of the Gorgon, still dripping green blood from its severed stump. Then something at the back of his memory surfaced. Something someone had said recently yet so long ago.

"The blood of the Gorgon."

* * *

He sat next to her, doing as much as he could with leaves and to bandage her wounds. He had lost his backpack with all his supplies, but somehow they had passed a tree which the back of his mind told him had leaves covered in anti-septic. He finished covering her wounds and sat there on the sand, his thumb rubbing over the glass phial which was now full of green liquid.

He wondered, wondered and hoped he was correct as he uncorked the top and slowly dripped a drop of liquid onto her lips. For a second nothing happened, but then her lips moistened, became more plump again and hydrated. The wound on her forehead sealed instantly, and before he knew it her breathing suddenly quickened and she coughed loudly as he eyes flung open, no longer cloudy.

She tried to spring upwards but he stopped her before she hurt herself more, and was about to speak but he was cut off. "Oh my gods I feel amazing like I should do a backflip."

Rho laughed, mostly out of relief. "No you shouldn't do that, your wounds are still healing."

He could have sworn she almost pouted like a puppy. "Fine then. Ow." She leant back down but was surprised to find herself on Rho's lap, her hand across his legs that he had stretched out without thinking. He sat there, half inclined to move so as to avoid a thunderbolt but to his surprise she didn't reject it, but rather got herself into it comfortably.

Rho felt himself grow a little red in the ears but smiled. "Thank you." He said under his breath, but she heard it and turned to him. He quietly panicked think of what he was going to say. "Erm for saving us. That last bit of strength you had to summon that lighting was incredible I mean all the monster just like."

But she stopped, catching him by surprise but wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder. His heart did a backflip of its own. "Thank you." She said. And he held her back.

"Took you long enough."

She pulled away from him, her hand grazing against the scratch on his neck and pain jolted from it. "Hold still." Thalia said, her voice no more than a whisper and totally unheard of to Rho, who just nodded and obeyed as she picked up another leaf from his pile and placed it on the burning wound Stheno had made. She held it in place for him, smiling sweetly at him.

"Maybe I didn't do it right." Rho said.

"What?" She said, her eyes moving away from the wound. He couldn't look away from them.

"Well, you're being nice. Maybe the Gorgon blood also changes people nature." The old annoyed expression surfaced again and she hit him hard on the shoulder and forcing him to the floor. She then tried to hit him more but he grabbed her hands and the two laughed, Thalia falling onto his chest. The Rho's senses came back to him as the same time Thalia's did, and he realised she was on top of him, her ear on his heart which began to beat as fast as it did when he fought the Gorgons.

Thalia said propping herself up blushing, and then it happened. Their eyes met, her electric blue against his grey. He saw something in them, something new he hadn't seen in Thalia. He watched as she looked back at him, then slide down to his lips while hers seem to twitch like she was forcing herself not to bite her own. Rho couldn't take his eyes away from the black haired huntress, taking in all the beauty her perfect face had to give. He felt her warm breath against his lips, and realised they were getting closer… and closer together…


	14. Chapter 14 - To Worse

Chapter 14-

Rhonan stretched the sleep out of his muscles which ached slightly for some reason. The sun shone brightly down onto the camp he had made, the fire still going on embers. He lifted the blanket he was under, and then his brain kicked into action as he remembered exactly what had happened the night before.

*Flashback*

He pushed her against the tree, his breath already hot beginning to exhale onto her lips, begging her on the tip of his gasp to kiss him again. But he needn't ask, she pressed her lips against him, the contact crackling passion between them like lightning. Her hands were wrapped around his neck, gripping onto them slightly since they were her only means of not falling to the ground, since her legs were locked around his waist. His hands were separate, one against the tree he was holding her against, while the other played with the hem of her shirt.

*Flashback ends*

Next to him lay Thalia, her hair messy but still, like the rest of her, perfect. She clung onto the cover above her for warmth, her breathing light and sweet. But she had been lying next to him, sleeping soundly protected and warmed by him. So protected and warmed in fact…

She was bare of all clothes, and her naked skin shining with temptation and beauty.

*Flashback*

She was biting down on his lip, one of her hands tangling in his hair as he slid his hand up her shirt slowly, relishing the electricity he felt as he touched her skin. It was addictive, blissful, and as he reached her breasts and groped them gently. The sparks flew as a slight moan that escaped her mouth.

He brushed his tongue gently against hers, the moans now getting progressively louder with every breath she took. Every action she did urged him on, his heart pumping loudly with every gasp, every twitch her sensitive body made. She moved her hips slightly against his, and the friction against his manhood made him moan along with her, and was enough to get him to carry her over to the bedding on the ground.

*Flashback ends*

He shook his head clear. The sun was up and he had to get moving, or at least make breakfast before Thalia awakens. He was careful not to wake her as he slipped on his clothes, picking up his backpack ready to go hunting. He couldn't stop looking over his shoulder to look at her, her expression as she slept was one of content, and she smiled slightly, most likely from a good dream, something unheard of for demi-gods. He pulled on his remaining sock, his thoughts still trying to piece together what happened last night.

*Flashback*

The shirt was lifted over her head, and before it had even come away she was pressing her lips against him again, now her hand pulling up his shirt as they lay on the bed. He couldn't help but oblige, letting her pull it off him. He looked at her soft skin, touching over it gently with his fingers. She bite her lip, gasping at his touch, then kissed him slowly and deeply. He broke away from her, moving his kisses to her neck which he caressed with his lips. She still didn't stop him, but rather tilted her head slightly the give him more areas to worship.

This whole time she dragged her nail down his back, gently enough not to make cuts but hard enough to please him. He couldn't stop himself, he couldn't pull himself away from her. The heat between them was too much, but he loved it. Loved her touch, her moans, every move she made. His brain might as well have been dead, as it was his emotions that moved his hands around her back, unhooking her bra.

*Flashback ends*

He grabbed his backpack and summoned his bow, moving into the tree line and readying himself. He tried to clear his mind of his thoughts, which was difficult as some were too difficult to forget. Some of it was hazy, disjointed. Maybe even erotic by nature. All of that made it hard to forget.

He ran through the forest around the camp, looking for breakfast in the early dawn. His bow was drawn, an arrow ready, his senses picking up on a small animal running near a puddle of water. He moved slowly towards it, stalking his prey. He couldn't put his finger on it, his senses where sharper, quicker. His movement was fast and silent, and he was defiantly more agile. He could understand it, his power had seemed to double overnight.

He fired an arrow, not sure exactly why he knew to do it at that moment or in that certain direction but a small squawk confirmed he had hit something. He reached it, and found a large bird, more like a goose. A Ross' Goose, his brain told him. He smiled. The ability to know all species of animal and plant by just looking at them was useful. He picked up the bird, looking at his suitable breakfast. He wasn't hungry however. The thoughts of the night before were too present in his mind.

*Flashback*

His hand felt her breast lovingly, savouring the moments where he tugged gently and he would hear her inhale slightly as he kissed her, begging him to carry on. She likewise was tugging at his hair, pulling his hairs enough to send the pleasure down his spine and across to his fingers. He was on her leash, her grip on him was dominant but passive at the same time, commanding him to do more to her, but for him to control her too.

He moved his lips to her neck again, lightly caressing her jaw line and moving his hands around her bare back, stroking down to her waist. She let out small pants, her breathing getting faster as he moved his hands to her belly, playfully tracing around the waistband of her underwear. He broke away from her jaw, looking into her azure eyes and noticing she was biting hard down on her lip before saying something in a low voice in his ear.

"Don't stop."

*Flashback ends*

When he finished letting out a small whimper her realised he had stopped moving at the wrong time, as the rock he placed his foot on began to slip. He would have lost his balance would it not for his quick reflexes. He jumped off the stone as it fell down a deep slope, letting out a breath he had been holding in. His mind wasn't clean, in more ways than one. This had never happened to him before, and he was still trying to remember exactly what had happened the night before.

He moved back into the camp, holding breakfast in his hand. He was making sure to be quiet, least he wake her, but he didn't need to worry. As he walked towards the fire he stopped, grinning slightly at the sight of the black haired girl lying on her side on the bed, the covers by her waist so her breasts were on display. She smiled back, her voice low and sensual in greeting. "My lord."

*Flashback*

He was hovering over her, kissing her lightly as he readied himself by her entrance, waiting for her permission. They broke the kiss, and she looked deeply into his eyes, her blue hues showing a little fear.

"I want to." She told him in a low breathless voice. "It's just…"

"You're chaste." He said, knowing she was fearful of the repercussions.

But to his surprise she shook her head. "No, I want it. I want you." She said, kissing him and pulling him towards her, and as he pushed his member gently into her she screamed loudly in pleasure, her eyes shooting open, her muscles losing all control. He groaned as he slowly pushed deeper inside her.

"Do you-" he needn't finish.

"Yes Rho, please my Lord just fuck me." She yelled his name and that was enough. He gently pushed against her wall, making Thalia scream in pleasure.

*Flashback ends*

"Hi."

She giggled slightly as he approached her, kneeling beside her as he leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away, looking at him sadly. "You can't. The new moon is over, and Lady Artemis could awaken any moment." She looked at the ground, then quickly around her until finally sitting up to kiss him deeply, pushing her body against him. He was caught off guard but gave in, sinking into the kiss and rubbing his hands along her sides.

*Flashback*

Deep whimpers escaped from the girl below him as he pushed into her, her claws dragging deeply into his back as he fucked her. He to let out his own exhales of pleasure as he felt her bounce along the length of his member. Throughout he kept his eyes locked with hers, watching her every movement, every twitch every sign of the pleasure she felt, and in turn he showed her equal enjoyment. He lost his mind, his sense, all were focusing on the pleasure of her wrapped around him and the spark that flew between their eyes.

Suddenly she twisted, turning over so she was now on top of him, staring down at him her face flushed red and her expression on of slight ache but she continued to slowly slide up and down the length of his erection, her gasps getting faster as she moved into a rhythm. He gripped her sides as the pleasure intensified, her name expelling his lips as his escaped hers.

*Flashback ends*

She got up off his chest slowly, reaching for her shirt which was strewn somewhere on the floor, he didn't bother to see. Then she crawled back to him, whispering in his ear. "Sorry, I can't help myself my lord."

'My lord? I kinda like that.' His eyes were focused on the sky as the memory was stored in his mind, and the smile came across his face. So she liked him, liked him a lot apparently. And what's more they spent the night doing… things.

"You bought breakfast at least I see." She said, her voice returning to her usual moody tone, but somewhat more upbeat. "But I see that you haven't bothered putting finding my hunters as the top priority."

"Well I have been a little busy." He toyed, standing up and watching her pluck the goose of feathers. "I guess finding them would be a good idea. With Artemis back they are more likely to find us. We should go on ahead."

"Why? Stheno is dead and the Alter making the monsters is abandoned. We can go home now, quest over." She took out an arrow and stuck it through the bird and began to cook it over the fire.

"Then why does this point south?" He held out his Astrolobe to her, and sure enough the arrow pointing towards the distant mountains. "There is something out there. My father told me so."

"Your father?" She stood up, forgetting the meal. "You know your father?"

"Well yeah, it's sort of obvious who it is." She blinked at him. "Well there is only ever one person who my mother loved right?"

"What, Orion?" She laughed. "Impossible. He is dead and lives in the stars how could he?"

"Stranger things have happened." He said, sitting next to her and subtly brushing his leg against hers. "Well that's what they all seem to be saying."

She shrugged, brushing her hand along his thigh before reaching for the meal and checking to see if it was done. He found that he loved it when she touched him, even with the lightest touch. He wasn't sure what it was, but he wanted to touch her all the time, even if it was just the tip of their fingers he wanted it, he wanted her. He wasn't sure if he could hold back now after he finally realised how he felt about her, but he had to. He stroked her face affectionately, making her shiver familiarly.

*Flashback*

She shivered as he sat up and kissed along her chest, biting down on her breast gently. Her breathing was so fast he feared she would pass out, but she kept riding him, moans filling the camp. He looked into her eyes, feeling his member signal the oncoming orgasm accompanied but small grunts from his throat. She looked at him, her face as if she was holding back hers. He kisses her gently. "Don't hold back."

She nodded to him gently, her hips motioning faster, her wetness increasing further. He tried to hold back as long as he could but the scream of climax she expelled drove him over the edge. As her orgasm came so did his, his throat out of moans as he just held his jaw open as the pleasure shot through him, a hundred time more intense then the time before. His hands, his legs, his whole body tensed as he came into her, and he felt her tense around his member only lengthening the orgasm. And then slowly the pleasure retreated, and he fell back onto his back and she on top of him, panting wildly.

*Flashback ends*

He tried to stop himself shuffling uncomfortably as the memory resurfaced, not that he wasn't enjoying remembering it. "Look… about last night." He began.

"I know." She whispered. "It was… Well I don't think you need to be told again how good it was. As for what it means, I still have my powers, and my blessing hasn't been removed. Let's just see okay? I for one don't want to push my luck." She quickly kissed him again however. Biting her lip as she pulled away. Truth was he did worry, Huntresses were supposed to be Chasid, and can't have any kind of relationship with a man, even if he be the son of their Lady. They usually get around this by sleeping with each other, or so he heard, and after last night Thalia broke her oath when she lost her Chasity. He wondered why she wasn't stripped of her abilities and her oath to the hunt. Was this a loophole because of the new moon?

Truth was he was worried his feelings and what they lead to. He might have just ruined her chance, and then spiral. If she broke her oath, Artemis might exile her, and remove her immortality, and therefore when she turns of age, the world would end, or so the prophesy Annabeth told him had said would happen. She was pretty much of age anyway, he didn't want to think about it.

She passed him breakfast smiling, and he accepted only now noticing his empty stomach. He bit into his tender meat, and he felt Thalia lean against him, eating hers plentifully. She obviously had worked up an appetite.

* * *

Artemis strolled into the camp yawning loudly still half asleep, her form that of a cute girl who had just awoken from a nap. She was so asleep in fact she didn't notice the camp rushing around, busy tiding and trying to organise the camp. She frowned. Never had she woken up and found her hunters so flustered and unorganised.

He grabbed Phoebe who was running past her carrying a heap of dirty hunting outfits, her face tired. "Phoebe what's wrong?"

The huntress just shook her head. "Mistress I… Thalia and Rho are gone, we can't find them. Even our best trackers lost their trail." She confessed.

Artemis cursed under her breath. "Tell me everything."

Phoebe explained everything, from when Rho and Thalia disappeared and what happened after. "We awoke with them gone. They left not a trail, and the ambushers were gone, along with the young Lord and Thalia. We have been trying to find then for days, but the new moon left us useless without your guidance."

Artemis could have done nothing more than cover her face with her hands, but she needed to be a leader. Her hunter's' needed their lady.

"Phoebe, gather the others." Her voice demanding. Phoebe nodded, dropping the outfits in a pile forgetting then instantly it seemed. Artemis rubbed her worried eyes.

The she sensed it. Distant but powerful, something searching, hunting for something. Or someone. Artemis stretch her tiny body, pulling her bow out.

"Rho." She said under her breath. "You're in big trouble young man."

* * *

After clambering through the jungle Rho had found a small sliver of land that linked the island with the shore of the lake on the other side. Rho ran to the path, testing it with his foot to see if it was real. The ground felt solid against his foot, and he grabbed Thalia's hand and pulled her down behind him since the size of the path was not wide enough for then side-by-side. The air was clear today, and the sun reflected off the water, its beauty clear, buts its contents below the surface not.

"Watch out okay." She warned from behind him. "Those Sirens might be back."

He nodded, continuing with a fast pace. He kept his finger hovering over his ring, rubbing the silver gently cautious of any movement. He missed the sword he had, the strap against his backpack uncomfortably empty. He felt Thalia close to his back, her hand on her bow ready for an ambush as well. He kept his ears and eyes open on the water not caring how close they were to shore. His heart beat faster, the suspense killing him. He was almost running now, grabbing Thalia's hand and pulling her into a run with him. Land was close now, and Rho threw himself for it, his foot touching it safely on the land and doubling over to catch his breath.

Thalia kicked his shin, making him yelp in surprise. "What was that for?!"

"You asshole." She said, panting with him. "Running isn't a good idea for me right now." She said, her face red and slightly pained.

"Wh-oh." He said realising. "Fuck I'm sorry." He was about to apologise when the thin strip of land behind them was suddenly struck by what looked like green fire, lighting it up across the lake. Rho grabbed Thalia holding her back as the fire spat at them. He stared at the place they would have been if he had not begun to run. "Well then never mind your welcome."

She glared at him, pushing herself away from him but smiling slightly. "Fine then let's go."

They walked the length of the lake, occasionally stopping to take a breath and look at each other. It was a strange kind of look, one of affection and caring, but underneath they were daring each other to kiss. He liked this new Thalia, although she was still scolding at times. Most of the time actually, but he liked that.

"Gods could you walk any slower! I swear Hypnos is more awake then you."

"Well I was a little busy last night." The grin on his face was quickly whipped by the glare from in front.

"And what were you doing exactly?" She raised an eyebrow.

His ears grew red as he stomped past her. "Fine I will keep up…" Soon she caught up next to him, smiling innocently as they approached a gas station, conveniently empty of any life apart from the bag man at the till behind the window in his mid-30s with sandy hair and looking extremely bored. The gas station had a big sign next to it, labelled 'Buy one Urn of Chariot oil get one free!'

"Chariot oil?" Rho frowned. He looked at the neon letter above the sign and read then aloud. "Olympus refill?"

"You clearly haven't been a demi-god for long." Thalia smirked, strolling into the station quickly followed by Rho. The store was small, the shelves lined with products he had never seen. Small pots, jugs and statues of armoured men or beautiful women among only thousands of items you wouldn't expect from a refill station in the middle of no-where. Even as they got closer to the counter Rho noticed swords and spears stacked in a corner.

Thalia was the other side of the shelving, which seemed to be mostly occupied with various foods. Mostly olive-related he noticed. He couldn't help but feel this place was a little too stereotypical, but he didn't want to risk incurring the wrath of the god of refill stations or something.

"Ah finally!" The shop clerk perked up when he noticed them. He wore a purple tee with a sandal with wing emblazoned on his chest. "You have finally arrive! I would have place 5 drachma on you never showing up."

"You were expecting us?" Rho asked puzzled.

"I expected you last night. What in Zeus' name were you two doing on that island?" Thalia and Rho looked at each other and shrugged hoping that would quickly change the subject. "Well anyways, I still have your message." The man strolled around the counter and gestured them to follow them around back. Rho looked at Thalia questioningly but she just nodded.

"His shirt means he is a son of Hermes, he should be trustworthy." She said. "Should. I only knew one bad one."

Rho took her word for it, and they went through the door to what looked like storage. Crates, most closed some open, revealing strange ornaments that looked thousands of years old, stacked up high around them as they strolled a narrow path as the man spoke. "When my father gave me this job I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world. I love mail, you know? The fact we can communicate over hundreds, thousands of miles with just a piece of paper and a stick label called a stamp is just incredible won't you agree?"

"Erm, sure." Thalia said hesitantly.

"I mean with the invention of mobile phones things have become easier sure, but nothing beats a hand-written letter. Its personal, private. It's something you can put your heart and soul into you know? I'm Riley by the way. Son of Hermes god of commerce and messages. I only was only described you guys by appearance. Black haired, scary looking girl and a passive ginger lad." Rho wanted to say something about the ginger comment but thought nothing of it.

"Thalia Grace."

"Rhonan Mobley."

"Oh you're that daughter of Zeus? You a hunter girly?" Riley opened reached a door, taking a key and opening the door into a small garden with a fountain in the centre, the light shining through it creating a rainbow. "And you, Rhonan that's new name for me. Who is your divine parent?"

"Well…" Rhonan started but Thalia cut him off.

"He is unclaimed. We think he is Hypnos though, he is so lazy." She laughed lightly while he just scowled.

"Well anyways, point is your Lady got a message for you." Riley stated, standing over the fountain. "1 drachma please."

Rhonan dug into his pocket and found to his surprise a lucky coin in its depths. He smiled, handed it to Riley who dropped it into the fountain. _"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering, and redial._ " He said bluntly. The rainbow dew began to form into an image.

"Redial?" Thalia reputed.

"Hey I don't make the rules of communication." Riley shrugged.

The image shimmered and a face appeared in the cloud. It was young, black in hair and eyes bright as a moon. "Rhonan oh thank Hera's bad hair days your safe, both of you. Thalia thank you."

"Eh…" Thalia blushed. "Don't mention it Lady Artemis. Are you with the hunters?"

"Yes." He answered. "I awoke to find you gone and I feared the worst. I called Riley as soon as I could, thinking he might have seen something over the lake. What happened?" Rho and Thalia took in turns explaining what had happened, obviously avoiding the events of the night before. "I must say, you are certainly my Lieutenant Thalia. And Rho you have proven yourself a fine hunter. Well done my son."

Rho smiled at his mother feeling a warmth inside him. "But, things are not over. Ar-Mother. Father spoke to me. He told me where I must go."

"Mother what?" Riley tried to perk up, but Thalia shot him a glance and he got a rude awakening to her bad side, quickly making him shut up.

Artemis paused, her face twitching in a smile. "Your father?"

Rho put his hand up. "This is for another time. Right now where are you and the hunters?"

"Close to where you are, but there is trouble heading your way my son." Just as she said this Riley perked up from his position leaning against a fence.

"Customers." He said under his breath, storming through the door and loosening a knife tucked in his belt. Thalia pulled out a knife of her own, while Rho rubbed his ring ready, turning back to his mother.

"Just hold out until we arrive." She said. "Oh and, avoid the crab."


	15. Chapter 15 - Battle at Olympus Refill

Chapter 15 –

When Rho was little, Henry took him to the beach. It wasn't often, he lived in North Dakota of course beaches were rare. But one summer he took him down to Texas, the cost in Houston. As any 6 year old, Rho was super excited, and ran into the nearest shallows with his bucket and shovel, giddy up to his teeth. But soon Rho came screaming out again, something pitched onto his little finger with a vice like grip. Before Henry could stop him he had pulled the creature from his hand and crushed it under his foot.

When Henry finally reached him, Rho was still crying. Wiping the tears from his face, the boy told him he felt bad for killing it. That it wasn't even his fault. Henry just smiled, and sat the young boy in his lap and told him a story, like he always did. "You know there was a powerful warrior. You know him well he's your favourite after all."

"Hercu-Heracles." He quickly corrected himself.

"That's right. And on one of his Labours was to kill the strongest lion in the world. But Hera, she didn't like him did she. She was a big old meany. So, to stop him she sent a giant crab down to slow him down. But Heracles simply stamped his foot on the crab, proving his strength even more. Now it seems to me, you're as strong as Heracles was."

Rho would laugh, the tears gone as he immersed himself in the story. He always did. Then he wouldn't feel so bad anymore. Yes he killed the poor crab, but he was strong enough to defend himself. So that day he collected crabs, and if they pinched him he wouldn't care. He would pick them free, but he wouldn't kill them again.

He already proved he was stronger with his labour.

But that strength was about to leave him soon. He ran alongside Thalia, Riley ahead of them as he entered the store while they hung behind the door, leaving it slightly ajar to see who was in the store.

For the first few seconds as Riley walked behind the counter and welcomed the 'shoppers', Thalia and Rho couldn't see anything, but then they head the footsteps approach and the lean figure of a pale woman walked to the counter, he mouth pursed tight as if even the slight intake of air by it would cause great distaste for her. Her eyes were dark, and seemed to shy away from even the slightly bit of light reflecting of the counter.

Riley tried his best to act casual, and for his part he did pretty well. "Welcome. Can I interest you in any of our fine items? Perhaps some Olive oil for those wrinkles on your neck."

That touched a nerve.

Riley saw the women's eye twitch in annoyance. "Erm or maybe some fine quality Shield metal? Freshly imported from Corinth I believe." Still no response. Riley seemed to be feeling the tension in the air. Every hair on Rho's body was on end, his hand reached for a nearby bronze sword stuffed into a thin pot. He assets it quickly, the blade short and balanced enough for him, and it seemed only the edge of the blade was bronze, and the middle of the blade was silver, reflecting his and Thalia's faces.

"This is bad." Thalia whispered. "On three, we charge out alright?" Rho held the door handle, thinking his plan. He would burst through the door, slice the leg off a display and let the items fall ontop of the woman. Riley in that moment of awkward silence tilted his head slightly towards the door Rho and Thalia hid behind. And that was all she needed.

"Oh there is no need." The women smiled. "I think I know where to find what we are looking for." And the women's form changed, the hair bursting into flames and her body morphing into the horrific sight of an Empousai as the mist faded. Then she put her hand into her mouth and whistled. As she did Riley jumped over the counter and sliced the torso of the monster sending her to dust.

Then nothing.

Rho moved out of the door and next to Riley, standing over the dust left by the monster quickly followed by Thalia. "What the hell was she whistling too?"

Their answer can pretty quickly. Is started as a light clicking, like when someone's joints click. Gradually it got louder, and faster, and soon the ground was shaking slightly from the force of whatever was approaching them. Rho had to grab Thalia round her waist to stop her falling to the floor as he gripped a neighbouring shelf.

"Get behind something." Riley said. "Now!"

Rho grabbed Thalia's hand trying to reach the door they had hidden behind previously, finding it shut and the handle unable to turn. Riley had the only key, and Rho tried to look around and find him but he had gone, so he pulled Thalia behind the shelf of Statuettes. She gripped his arm, bringing out her bow as he readied his new sword.

Then the clicking stopped just as it was outside the station. It shuffled loudly outside, and it tapped on the windows. Rho found his breathing getting heavy from the anticipation, and his urge to just burst out and find out what it was that was causing this almost unbearable. But he held himself, his sword hand shaking.

Then it seemed whatever it was got bored of waiting. It smashed the window of the store, glass showering over the shelf above then, then slowly the monster moved in, and Rho readied himself. But before he charged out to meet the monster, he heard Riley let out a battle cry and beat him too it. Rho couldn't see from his position but he heard a feint clang as Riley's sword hit some sort of armour before letting out a curse, and flew past them slamming the far wall where he didn't get up.

"Riley!" Rho shouted, quickly followed by him covering his mouth. He shouldn't have shouted, it gave them away. The clicking came closer. It was such a simple noise but it made Rho's spine tingle and his hair stand on end. He looked at Thalia, seeing her eyes determined but just as fearful as his. He couldn't afford to lose it now. He nodded to Thalia pointing to the end of the shelf at signal she get distance to use her bow. She nodded, giving his arm one last squeeze before doing it.

Rho slide closer to the right hand edge of the shelf, the clicking stopping or a second and Rho held up his sword, using the reflection to peak around the corner, and that's when the memory of his childhood at the beach flooded back.

Reflected in the blade was a giant, red shelled crab. Its claws alone were huge, Rho guess around 2 feet long, its legs a few yards each and 6 in total, bending them so it stood around Rho's height maybe even a bit taller. Its black eyes darted around the room before focusing on the shiny sword poking around the edge of the shelf. Rho didn't have time to curse. He pushed left just in time to avoid the claw that slammed through the shelf he was behind. Statuettes fell to the floor crushed and broken, and the crab stepped sideways through the pile in pursuit.

Rho ran around the side of the shelf and sprinted down the middle of the store, but the crab didn't seem too fazed and simple blasted through the rest of the shelves parallel to him. Rho kept running, keeping in front of the crab only just.

He was running out of shelf fast, and eventually he would have to turn and fight the monster he dreaded. He glanced behind him to try and find a way to loop around but the store was too small. He had no choice.

He slowed down, turning to the crab his sword readied. It was side-stepping towards him and it connected with him. Rho flew across the store hitting a wall just as Riley had done, but luckily he wasn't knocked out cold, but his head run and he saw stars for a moment before regaining his focus, only to see a giant claw about to hammer him into the ground.

He rolled left with as much effort as he could make with his head still dazed and just managed to avoid being crushed under the arm of the monster. He dash to his feet, his vision slightly blurry so he closed his eyes and relied on his other senses. He could smell the creature, a dampness to the air just a few feet away. He charged it, swinging his sword high and onto the claw of the monster.

And the blade bounced off.

Rho opened his eyes and his vision refocused on the crab, now looking rather annoyed its hand just got hit but a sword, clicking the other angrily as Rho cursed and backed away. The crab lunged at him to try and grab him between its pincers but missed, and Rho stabbed and sliced at the armour of the crab with no effect. It was like it was made of a tough metal.

The crab seemed to have had enough of being poked. It clicked in frustration at Rho's persistence and threw its body in what looked like a sumo move. But just as it was about to flatten him the crab creaked in what sounded like a pained moan and stopped moving, forgetting about him and darting around as if looking for something. Rho looked and saw from a chink in its shell where the claw arm and the body met and arrow pierced in its joint.

Rho smiled. 'Thalia you're a genius.'

Rho moved into the space where the crab couldn't notice him and reached up to the place Thalia's arrow hit and sunk his sword into the meat of the joint. The monster creaked in pain again and tried to jerk Rho's sword free. It spun on its legs and Rho lost his grip on the sword and flew across the store again, crashing through the only fully intact shelf left, which was occupied by Thalia and they both sprawled over the floor.

Thalia stood back up first only to grab Rho by the hand and help him up to see. The crab was clicking and turning its body against them ready to charge. Rho jumped to his feet.

"Run left." He said summoning his bow. "On 3." He hoped Thalia was in the same wave band as he was thinking in. She nodded, drawing an arrow and standing with him back to back. The crab scuttled with great speed towards, them, and Rho shouted just as it was the right distance away. "3!"

He ran to down the store with the wall to his right and Thalia with it to the left and the crab kept going and hit the wall of the store cracking the plaster and hitting mortar, making it stagger. Rho heard the monster creak in confusion and took his chance.

"Thal!"

He turned on the spot, his arrow notched as he took only seconds to aim for the spot he wanted, between one of the legs and the thick armoured undershell, and fired knowing his arrow would slot through the chink and hit its mark. His arrow, sure enough, fitted perfectly through the weakness and Rho felt it hit the joint at its leg.

The monster let out a pained screech, its arms raised in anguish as it frantically tried to scuttle on the now wounded leg but couldn't. The monster clicked its claw and before Rho could move it dived and grasped him between its rough pincers. Rho was lifted off the ground, the wind being crushed out of him as the crab clamped down on him slowly, the grip incredible and Rho cried out in pain his ribs feeling like cracking.

Rho saw Thalia had turned as he yelled, shouting his name as she took aim at an easier target, the crab's aloft claw. She let her arrow go and it hit the point where the two pincers met and sunk into the opening. The crab screeched again and dropped Rho who managed to land on his knee's coughing and spluttering. The crab was holding its claw up to its eyes to see why it wasn't working, and then clicking the other in anger towards Thalia.

Rho notched another arrow and began to walk away the monster, turning and taking aim when he was a safe enough distance and firing at the exposers in the armour hitting his mark easy. He needed its attention away from Thalia, he couldn't risk getting her hurt. But the crab wasn't that easy to kill. They could hit him in all the weakness it had and it didn't seem to make a difference on its unrelenting assault. It turned to Rho and charged with its good claw, snapping as it did. Rho ducked left, diving out of a smashed window and out onto the baron road.

The crab was to slow to follow and stopped in its tracks searching for him inside the store. Rho ducked behind a large urn of greenish translucent oil he guess was for chariots, and noticed Thalia moving out of the front entrance, dragging the still unconscious Riley. The crab stepped outside, clicking its claw frantically searching still. Rho glanced behind him, the landscape still empty. Where was Artemis already?

He pulled an arrow from the quiver, thinking fast. He had no way of killing it with that shell. This was different from when he was little, this time the crab was his size; no way was he big enough to crush it under his foot.

He closed his eyes, trying to find something in his head that could get him out of this situation. He breathed deeply through his nose, the smell of thick oil filled his nostrils as he sat there in deep thought. Then he stopped. Oil. He smelt again. The oil was fruity from the olives, typical of Greece to use it, but it had a hint of a more pungent scent to it. It was flammable.

Rho gripped the arrow and pulled at his jeans and tore the sharp point through the fabric to create a cloth. He wrapped then wrapped it around the top of the arrow before dipping it into the arrow and slipping off unnoticed. He didn't need to think of a plan, he just relied on what his instincts told him about the oil and the rest just flowed. He was confident whatever he was doing would work.

As he crouched behind a bush just the right distance away he picked a rock from behind him and threw it where it hit exactly where he wanted, the urn. The sound of stone on clay reached whatever the crab used to ear and it jumped towards it, clicking and creaking along till it reached the urn over turning it and letting the oil spill onto the ground around it. Convenient.

Rho pulled out another arrow laying the first on the ground then picking a second rock from the dusty ground. He struck the stone and the clean arrow together, waiting for a spark. He hit them together hard and fast to create the friction needed to finish his plan and finally the yellow sparks flew where the two surfaces met, and after a few attempts the oil-soaked cloth finally caught. A flaming arrow. Rho grinned at his success. He stood back up, notching the flaming arrow into his bow and aimed at the spilled oil.

He thought before he fired his arrow. He felt like he needed a cool punchline, like he had seen in action movies just before the Hero beat the bad guy. Then he realised he probably didn't have much time to think of a cool punchline so just said "Fuck you Mr Crabs." And he pulled the bowstring and fired.

Rho felt pretty cool at that moment. The flaming arrow shot down and hit the oil that was cast over the floor right beneath the crab, who realised only when the flames shot up around it that it was trapped. It creaked and screeched in protest as the flames grew and grew, so much even Rho was surprised. But he was smiling, he knew how to cook a crab. Once heated its shell becomes weaker, and he would just have to hit it in just the right spot.

The same spot as when he was at the beach all those years ago.

He ran, letting his bow change back to its ring as he watched the crab reel and screech in protest to the flames. Rho knew it was unlikely the shell was weak enough at this point, but he hadn't the time. The flames wouldn't last forever and they were already dying down, he had to try. He ran for the ladder on the side of the store that lead onto the roof, grasping the bars and ascending as fast as he could. He stepped to the edge once he reached to top, testing the distance between him and the crab with his eyes. The crab was to buy clicking frantically to notice Rho hovering on the roof above it. A few metres. A few metres and a bit. Okay a lot. He backed up a few paces, a run up was all he needed. A run up and a sudden gust of wind that would carry him towards the crab.

He took a deep breath and ran towards the ledge, closing his eyes as his foot hit the edge and he jumped.

It was in the air he realised he probably made some mistakes. Firstly, below him the fire was still burning, so if he missed he would land in the fire and probably die. Second if he missed the jump, and the fire didn't kill him, the fall would hurt his legs and the crab would finish him off. Then even if he to make this jump, he could fail at his objective and look like a complete idiot, and most likely, again, die.

So he considered his chanced pretty good here.

He opened his eyes to see his feet in the right place, his decent aimed perfectly onto the shell atop the crab, who had stopped moving as the flames died down and was steaming from the dampness being heated off by the flames. Its colour was now a pinkish red, perfect. Rho focused on the shell as his reactions quickened and he aimed right for the weak point he knew, or hoped, crabs all shared. He pushed with all force as he made contact with the crab, and his foot broke through the shell as he landed on soft tissue.

The monster writhed in protest at Rho's foot stuck in its shell. Rho clung on, his hands against the hot shell burning him slightly but not enough for him to let go. He pulled his leg out and almost rodeo'd the creature as it continued to thrash and as he gripped he saw the sword he had left pierced into the creatures arm, its blade just out of reach. He took his chance, standing on top the shell and trying his best to keep balanced as he walked, or more so fell, towards the sword and grabbed the handle.

Rho then remembered how much of an idiot he was. Not only had he just made a very dangerous jump, lucky enough for that to work, he no thought it had been a grand idea to leap for a sword that had been cooked by flames. He yelled as he gripped the burning hot hilt of the sword, not letting go however. He needed it. He held back his pain as he pulled the sword from the joint slowly, painfully slow. He felt his eyes water from the pain of his hand burning but eventually it broke free, making him stumble back and almost fall off the shell.

He clung on as the crab continued to get its good claw around its back to grasp him again and crush him in the vice-like grip, but it wouldn't reach nor was smart enough to accept that fact. Rho gritted his teeth and gripped to the hot shell and dragged himself to his feet and not wasting anytime to drive for the broken piece of the shell and driving his sword into gap.

The crab froze, its claw apart suspended in the air. Rho stood up, his breathing heavy and his hand throbbing with pain, but he had to finish it. He raised his foot and brought his heel onto the hilt of the sword and drove it right into the monsters flesh.

The monster trembled then fell, toppling to the floor taking him with it. Rho stumbled onto the ground using his burnt hand to stop himself and cursing when he landed painfully on it. He went to a crouch, then a crouch then to a falling on his back panting with exhaustion.

He gazed up at the sun for what seemed ages. The fires around him warming the breeze he felt. For a moment he forgot all the pain he felt, all the numb muscles and throbbing hand. He just lay there thinking what person he had become over the past few days. He had found who he really was. Or had he? He still had no idea what or who he was doing this for or what he was going to do after. He saw point in his quest, but did it matter? From what people told him Kronos will take over eventually, and would giving him a smaller army make that much difference?

"Rho!"

Then the world snapped back. The pain snapped back and he winced and sat up slightly to see Thalia run towards him. He smiled despite the pain, and she joined him wrapping her arms around him.

"You're a fucking moron." She said, letting go of him and giving him an angry look.

"Did I ever tell you I'm allergic to crab?" he said, smiled widely.

She laughed. "No. Now I know what the punishment should be when you do something as stupid as this, moron." And she kissed him quickly, making him wince from the cold embrace of her lips. She moved away holding out her hand to help him up. He held up his better hand and she helped him up, noticing his burns.

"I thought you said we should never push our luck?" he said questioning her kiss without trying to sound as if he was complaining.

She just smiled at him, relief on her face. "We need to find the hunters."

"No need." He said, pointing behind them as a large migration of figures approached them, eventually becoming the unmistakable vision of the hunters, led by Artemis, who kept her form that of a 12 year old again.

"Rho, Thalia." She shouted as she gestured for a couple of girls to check over them. "I'm sorry we took so long."

"It's okay my lady." Thalia bowed slightly. "We… Survived in each other's company."

"I'm surprised I still have my sanity." Rho yelped as Thalia punched his arm as Artemis approached them.

Artemis merely smiled for a second before looking over to the body of the monster. "Karkinos. What is he doing here?"

"Regardless I don't think he'll be much trouble anymore." Rho told her.

"Clearly. You did unimaginably well my son." She gave a toothy smile. "Now we must fix you up. This quest is not over."

* * *

"The mountain's weep."

Artemis sat down as Thalia was having a cut stitched up and Rho was having his hand wrapped in an Aloe Vera bandages as he chewed on some ambrosia to numb the pain. Riley was with them too yelping in pain as a hunter tried to aggressively patch up the bruise on his scalp.

"They weep?" Rho asked.

"Not literally." She replied. "They are dark. They try to hide the shame that burrows itself away at its peak with mist and cloud. I hear them there is much happening atop them."

"And you think this is where his quest leads Rhonan next?" Thalia asked.

"Yes it is." He said rubbing his new bandage gently. "The Astrolobe points that way you saw. It's the way to go. Why though what could be at the top?"

"Euryale?" Thalia suggested.

"I would assume so." Artemis grimaced. "But unlike her sisters Euryale always relied on a strong force to reassure her. There is another power working here. One who have become increasingly popular now a days."

Thalia jumped to her feet. "A Titan?"

"Titan?" Rho said. "Titans are back? I thought they all died and were thrown into Tartarus?"

"Things change and repeat." Artemis shrugged like it was nothing.

"Well that's comforting."

"So what are you going to do?" Riley said finally joining the conversation, be it directed to mean he was staying the hell away from a Titan.

Rho thought for a moment. He had beat a Hipppolectyron, a Minotaur, a Gorgon and a giant crab, but a Titan? Even the gods found it hard to win a war against them, so what hope did he have? Then again, nothing good can come from a Titan living that close to a mortal city, but what was there plan?

Rho hit himself for forgetting. "The Sceptre!"

"I'm sorry?" Thalia said curiously.

"Orion told me." He said looking at his mother who looked startled at the use of his Father's name. "The Sceptre of Phanes. They have been using it to create life, to create monsters."

Artemis shot to her feet, her appearance glowing for a moment and her face stern. "Orion told you this?"

"Yes."

"And you are sure?"

"My lady please." Thalia stood up and brushed past him gently. "What is this Sceptre?"

Artemis tasted the words in her mouth. They seemed bitter. "Phanes is… was, the primordial god of life. The Sceptre was his symbol, it is a powerful weapon. But even with its power its method of creating life is not pure without its original holder."

"Not pure?"

The goddess sighed and sat back down collecting her thoughts. "Agamemnon was the last owner who could imitate the effects correctly. He could create life purely, but others… they create monsters, and that at a price."

"Mortals." Rho said hoping he wasn't correct.

"Yes." Artemis grimaced. "One mortal soul taken by the sceptre would create many monsters, even ones lost to the ages. Zeus was told to keep care of the sceptre, but it seems he neglected to tell us it was absent. But who has the Sceptre now?"

Rho thought for a moment remembering Orion's messages to him. "The mountains. The snake the lake and… what was the last part… A rash?"

"Ew I don't want to know what kind of problems males have downstairs thank you very much." Said a passing hunter who scoffed and walked away. Thalia gave him a pink faced look.

"Rash?" Artemis repeated. "Rash… Hubris?"

"Hubris?"

"Menoetius." Artemis said under her breath. "Violent anger and rash action sounds about right."

"Menoetius?" Thalia said. "Didn't my father zap him with a bolt?"

"He did." Artemis said. "It was hilariously funny his hair stuck on end oh it was glorious."

"So Menoetius is back and he has the sceptre? And what's more Euryale is with him…" Rho breathed out deeply. "So I guess that's where I'm going then."

"You have a rather unfortunate quest don't you." Artemis smiled. "You certainly are my son that's for sure."


	16. Chapter 16 - Unconventional Family Talk

Chapter 16 –

It was surprising just how well things got back into the usual between Thalia and Rhonan. At the same time as they bickered and gnawed at each other's nerves, they were inseparable. They tracked along the edge of Lake Utah again, their feet trudging side by side along the murk as they followed Artemis westward.

Rho couldn't tell if anyone had clocked anything. The thing he worried most was the quest of course but at the back of his mind he still felt guilt that if his night spent with Thalia was found out it could have irreparable consequences. And if it was Artemis who found out… He dreaded to think what kind of tree Thalia might turn into this time if she found out her Maiden lieutenant slept with her son. He tried his hardest to not think about it when the devil herself showed up.

"What's with that face?" She said her voice in that usual mocking, which annoyed him less as it did before but still rubbed him the wrong way. "You don't have to stop to pee again do you?"

"I thought marking territory was something hunters did. Maybe we should find places very far apart we can claim and never see each other again. Sound good?" he retorted as he walked along the blurry surroundings. They were walking along one of those paths the hunter's use it seems. They had been heading north for a while, heading towards Salt Lake City. It seems some of the paths had been cut off by the mountains, and the Astrolobe in Rho's hands somehow seemed to point out which ones to take in their path that would make them head west as soon as they could.

They were passing through an interstate, a sign pointing north towards a place called "Draper" and further on to "Salt Lake." They crossed the busy road with ease, the cars they only walked past for about a second seemed to slow before they even got close. The Mist was powerful enough to shroud and island, it must be powerful enough to make the hunters look like a family of ducklings following a mother duck across a road.

Artemis turned around and looked at him with soft eyes. "Rho, we can reach the base of the mountains by nightfall. Why don't we have a conversation in the meantime?"

Rho gulped a small lump. This would be it, his first real conversation with one of his parents, his biological parents. He glanced a look at Thalia, who had a smile on her face and she nodded slowly, the fingers on her left hand crossed as if to wish him luck. She really had her moments it seemed. He really felt the war raging in his body to stop himself from grabbing her by the hand for her to grip and make him feel more confident. He instead just smiled back and moved ahead, away from the pack behind them.

He walked next to his young girl-looking mother with hesitant eyes. She smiled, pulling herself past a tree where her disappearance was met by a shining light from behind the trunk only to reappear in Rho's more comfortable older image more suited to that of a mother. "I suppose I should look like this more often anyway. It's hard to take a young girl seriously as she hunts fierce monsters and titans."

Rho smiled. "Naa. I would be terrified if a small child ran at me with an axe or a bow and arrow. Especially with a lieutenant like Thalia following behind with that angry look she has."

"I heard that, dork." Said a voice behind them. Artemis couldn't hold back her smile.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before she opened herself up to him. "My biggest regret in all of my existence was giving into my father's demands and giving you up."

Rho looked at his feet as they walked over hundreds of yards in one step. "I know. I mean, I watched you almost every night for years giving me up because of Zeus. I dreamt it, I never realised it was me who you were arguing over."

"My father is King of the God's. He wished for his brothers to have more children for the past 70 years, not just because of the prophecy, but because they would be strong and powerful, and dangerous on the wrong side." Artemis' voice was stern and serious, Rho couldn't help but frown and listen intently. "When you were born, and the Fates told us your future was not certain, that was the last straw for him. Not only did he see it as a breach of my oath, but you were a threat if you were to ever join the side of Kronos."

"But I would never do that." Rhonan exclaimed. He had not been in this world long but he wasn't the type to side with the bullies in school.

"Most think that." His mother said sombrely. "Not long ago Hermes swore his child would never turn to the titans, and he turned out wrong. A god, wrong. This was a big deal, and Zeus has been…" He faulted for a moment. "Perhaps we should stop talking about your grandfather."

"Right." Rho said looking up at the sky above him, seeing it clear and blue as always, but that could easily change. Especially if he found out about him and Thalia. 'Great, another thing to worry about.' "When you say the Fates can't predict my future, what do you mean? I have been told this so many times but I'm not sure what it means."

Artemis stepped closer to him as they walked, locking her arm in his gently. It seemed so natural he hardly noticed it. "When it comes to the affairs of the god's and demi-gods, have you noticed things have followed a certain pattern?"

Rho thought about this. A pattern? Like a link between cases in a Crime TV show, the lines crossing at certain points. "I mean it seems like a lot of the stuff the Demi-gods are dealing with recently is nothing new."

"Precisely." Artemis explained. They were now in a small outskirt suburb called "Magna", he noticed from a sign that blurred past. "History has a funny way of repeating itself around the Gods and their children. The Son of Poseidon slaying the Medusa, the Rise of Kronos' forces. The Golden Fleece needed to cure a sanctuary of illness."

Rho looked back a second at Thalia. It was still amazing that she was here, how she lived for so long because of her father's mercy and Percy Jackson's heroism. He felt like he owed Percy something, even though they never met. And Zeus couldn't be all bad if he saved his daughter, though was turning her into bark and branches really necessary?

Artemis continued. "You, however. I have never bore children, nor was ever prophesied to. Not even my brother knew. You are a new phenomenon, and a great one in my eyes." She moved over to him, stopping him to lift his shin so their eyes met. He felt like he was staring into the moon again, like he always did every night, looking into his best friend who he trusted like no other. "The Titans did not expect you either. You are something that was born for this purpose, perhaps. Whatever it may be, you're story will be a great one my child."

He gripped his mother's hand, feeling eyes behind and turning to see the hunters not quite sure what to do. He smiled at them before turning back. "I think they might be starting to like me."

She laughed gently, like a bird's song almost. "They will get used to you. They have never hunted like a male unlike I have. I know you have some uses."

"Yes, that's right." Rho said moving his mother's hands down as they continued walking. "I am sure that Orion is my father. I mean, from the story in my dreams, he was a spirit when he…." He said trying not to cringe.

"I was hunting alone that night 16 years ago." She said slowly, her gaze so distant it as almost as if she was there again, reliving it. "It was one of those rare times I hunt alone, but the game was too sweet to pass up. I remember he took the form of a Stag, a spirit of the hunt, and he entered my womb-"

"Woah is this going to get PG-13 here?"

Artemis sighed and brushed her brow. "Worry not. His spirit merged with me, creating a new essence inside of me. That was you, a spirit of the hunt made flesh and whole."

Rho tried his hardest to make sense of this. "So, let's say it wasn't a conventional conception?"

"Haha, anything but my son." Rho smiled back as his mother replied. "But I never see you as anything but my child, my blood and soul. My trusted wonder and greatest spoil." Down her face the tears, gentle and heartfelt, fell down her cheek. A few hunters rushed to her aid but she waved a hand to them softly. "Worry not, I am fine. But… The guilt I feel is something I deserve to live through my entire existence, should it not end if Kronos wins the day."

Rho brushed a tear from his mother's face. "I am okay. I grew up with a wonderful father in Henry. He took care of me, really, I couldn't imagine I would be who I am without him." It was his turn to hold the sad face. He hadn't thought about Henry since his quest began, and his own pang of guilt hit his chest.

"Henry Mobley is a strong nephew of mine. He was a sharpshooter in the military, and he is perfectly capable of escaping deaths grip." She smiled at him with her red lips.

Rho really hoped so. He always had faith in Henry, he always had helped him out of tight jams growing up. Henry was a demigod all along, but he never once noticed he used his powers looking back. He must never had seen it, but he guess Henry had his reasons. He missed him deeply. "After this quest, I'm going to find him."

Artemis smiled and help the ring on his hand close to their faces. "His father and I gave you the tools to do amazing things. Henry never wanted this world for you, neither did I, but he knew one day you would be strong enough to be ready." Rhonan looked at the inscribed Rho letter on the ring. "He named you after his favourite letter, The Seventeenth."

Rho never knew who had given him the name. Henry always called him "Red", or "Boy" depending on if he was in trouble. "Seventeenth. I wonder if that's something important."

"He had the same power of foresight and prophecy his father has." Artemis explain, making Rho look up curiously. He remembered how Henry had the rucksack prepped the day the Chickorse attacked, and the ticket being for that day too. It would explain it if Henry could see the future somehow. "I believe your name is also a clue to some future destination."

"M'lady." They were broken from their conversation by Phoebe who had her bow drawn. "I'm sorry to interrupted, we will arrive at the base, should we set up camp?"

"Of course, we can rest before we ascend." Phoebe bowed to them, or at least to Artemis who dismissed her, and ran back to a few other hunters and issued orders. "Rho I suggest you and Thalia discuss a format of attack together. I have a few things I have to take care of." Rho didn't want to argue, and pretended to look distasteful of the idea of spending time with Thalia.

"I'll try to leave with my limbs attached." He said, actually speaking with some truth in his words.

Artemis gave him a smile, and to his surprised pulled him close and held him deeply in her arms. He stopped for a moment, the sensation of warmth within him. His mother was hugging him, something he never thought would be a reality for him. His arms moved slowly, gripping his mother's clothes tightly like a child would, his emotions becoming overbearing to the point when she began to let go he felt the need to clutch and hang on, but he let go. He couldn't be selfish and hold a God down because it was his mother. She smiled and walked towards the rocky ledge moving past a corner in the face and away from sight.

Rho felt his heart sink. He walked away from the commotion of the hunters setting up tents and galley's and let himself sit down on a small bench close to the outskirts of the camp. He pulled out his new sword, the one he used to slay Karkinos. The heat had made the silver melt its edges a little, warping its shape slightly into the bronze edge. He could still see a reflection, the face he hardly recognised anymore. He wasn't the same person as he was less than a week ago. His face was more defined, maybe even more grown up and handsome. It was like he aged a few years in the span of a couple of days, maybe even grown a few inches in height. He moved his backpack to his feet and put the new sword in the old sheath. It was smaller than his old sword but the width seemed to make it fairly secure.

They were slightly elevated enough to see another pool of water in the distance in front of him. A much larger lake then Lake Utah. On the shore of the lake was a pier of sorts, its glass entrance visible to his eyes. It was relatively empty from the looks of it, and for a pier the lack of water around it made it look rather harrowing. To the left he saw patches of dried up riverbed, the ditches brown and barren of colour. He noticed a sign not too far away from where he sat, pointing up towards the lake. It read in block capitals "GREAT SALT LAKE – WATER VOLUME - 15,338,693.6 acre ft (18.92 km3)". Another arrow pointed to the mountain range behind him, "OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN RANGE – HIGHEST ELEVATION: FLAT TOP MOUNTAIN 10,620 ft"

Rho pretended he didn't read that last part. He could deal with heights, but that was a little extreme.

"Hey, stop that!" He heard a voice behind him. He wasn't surprised to see Thalia, her hands on her hips looking at him with a somewhat softer glare.

"What?"

"Are you just going to sit there or are you going to help set up camp? The sooner this is done the sooner we can find a way to scale that rocks." She said before turning back and helping a small hunter carry a large amount of bows and swords for her size. He was at least happy she was enthusiastic about it all. He pulled his backpack back onto his back and began to hoist the strategy tent up with a few other hunters.

* * *

Artemis strolled up the dirt and salted path leading to the Saltair building. She had been here a number of times, since the first model was built almost 150 years ago. It was originally owned by the Mormon Church, but it was in fact build but someone who was far from Mormon. The newest model, Saltair III, was more a tourist attraction and performing stage then anything this time of year, but today it was empty.

The entrance half was grand, open space. The acoustics were so perfect even the Goddess' light footsteps echoed around her. The air was fresh, and smelt like the ocean. She enjoyed the peace around her, but she wasn't going to be alone for long.

"Ah, Artemis."

She turned around to meet the face of a man she wasn't exactly expecting. He adorned black hair, a neatly trimmed black beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes. The skin around his eyes were sun-crinkled, and as usual he had a smile on his face. He wore Birkenstocks, khaki Bermuda shorts and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it. "Poseidon, this is an unexpected pleasure."

The god of the Oceans smiled before sitting lazily on a nearby row of seats. "Well It's not often I get to see my niece. How goes the hunt?"

She simply smiled at him. He was always very friendly to her, something that made her tolerate him, although he was one of the more lustful of the gods. She shouldn't complain, her father was just as bad. "I didn't think the Sea God would be so far away from a Sea?"

"The Salt like is what I would call my... holiday retreat." He smiled back at her. "Saltair was built by Hephaestus' son, and once he was finished with it I found myself liking it more and more."

Artemis knew he wasn't here for just ideal chit chat. "I am expecting someone to arrive soon, so please make this quick."

Poseidon lost his smile slightly. "That son of yours. The Forbidden Child." Artemis kept her face blank as possible. "My brother isn't very happy. He wished for him to stay out of our world for a long while, but it seemed as if that was inevitable to fail."

"Rhonan's strength it seems is far too tempting for monsters to leave forever."

"I could say the same for my son." Poseidon stood up, holding a shell necklace over his neck. "You know my son and yours aren't going to see eye to eye when they find out a few things. I wished to discuss that should the time come, neither of us intervene, should Zeus have a good excuse to strike them both down."

Artemis held her breath a second. "Rho and Percy are very much alike. Your son is a strong fighter, but Rho can hold his own. My son would never destroy Percy, can you say the same the other way around?"

Poseidon smiled and laughed gently. "I think they will get along just fine. I don't have your brother's foresight to know that."

"Indeed." She agreed. "Speaking of my brother, I must go. I know sooner or later Zeus will bring up the subject during a gathering. I ask that you at least consider what I will say, I know certainly some night not."

The Sea God's eyes shined for a second. The Ocean and the Moon were very much attuned, the Moon controlling the tide and the power of the waves by its gravity. She respected her Uncle the same way the Moon respects the Ocean's power, and he had a very brave son who had saved her not that long ago by baring the Sky's weight. She let him grasp her shoulder gently for a second, but he seemed smart enough to let go quickly. "I swear on the river Styx to hear your proposal."

The thunder rumbled as he stepped past her, and as she turned he had already disappeared. She smiled gently before walking towards a large doorway that lead into a dancefloor, an elevated stage on the far side with a sandy haired back sitting on a stool, a lyre in his hands playing soft music around them. Apollo smiled as his sister entered. "Ah, sis! You are just in time for the main act."

"Sorry dear brother, I have already spent more time then I should have to waste." She smiled and walked closer to the centre of the floor, not needing to speak loudly since they were the only ones here.

"But of course, you have your godly errands and as do I." He played his lyre gently still, the light music steadying the room as if it was taking slow gentle breaths. "You are here to discuss that adorable nephew of mine?"

"I had an idea."

He raised an eyebrow at her words. "An idea to prevent Fathers inevitable wrath? Pray tell?"

"Hippolytos."

"Ah, I see." He smiled playing his lyre a little faster. "You intend him to join the hunt. Interesting. Zeus won't make the same mistake as last time, I mean after all he can't resolve his issues by killing the problems in his way anymore."

"It won't be like last time." She explained, her fists clenched as she remembered the pained face of Hippolytos as Zeus killed him. "Asclepius did not deserve what happened, but he lives as a god now. This time, Zeus will let me accept my First male hunter."

"But this is different." Apollo said, stopping his playing but the tune continued to play around them. "Rhonan is not like Lytos. Lytos found no gratification for loving a woman or a man, but Rho… You of all people know he has the ability to feel and love."

Artemis pursed her lips. "That is…"

"Dear sister…" Apollo approached her and puller her hands open. "I have just as much faith in Rho as you do, but once Zeus finds out about his encounters, you know what his answer will be."

Artemis sighed. "I know brother… hopefully Rho can prove himself before that time comes."

* * *

Rhonan pulled up the last of the tents up, securing the rope to the ground before wiping his brow. He wasn't sweating, nor was he even tired after helping secure the camp for the night, but it was his ritual after a hard day's work on the farm. A few hunters actually ran up to him, some even bowed and said "Thank you M'lord" before walking off to do other chores. He was stunned by how much he found the hunters respected him now, even with Artemis not around. Maybe he had proved something to them, or maybe they just gave up being so hostile. He wondered if they were planning on something in the night like the Hermes Cabin did.

He walked into the big tent where Thalia and Phoebe where bent over a map on the table. Upon entering Thalia smiled in the corner of her mouth, while Phoebe gave him a stoic face. "Everything set up then?" She asked.

"Yep. Lacy went off with a small group to scout the area, although no monster sightings yet." He conveyed as he walked over to the table. The map they were observing showed Utah State, with various contour lines for the Rocky Mountains around them, each with question marks above their names. "So, fill me in on what you have planned so far."

It looked like Phoebe was about to retort about how rude he sounded but Thalia spoke before she could. "Well, let's see that Astrolobe of yours a second." Rho handed it over to her calmly, much to the surprise of the other hunter seeing him comply to Thalia so easily. She observed the markings but seemed confused by it. "It's hard to read… You said it pointed west?"

Rho took a space closer so he could see his device. "It was saying west, but now it seems to be spinning in all directions." He watched the hands spinning erratically in all directions on the face of the Astrolobe, stopping after going in one direction for a second before going the other. "It's like it can't make up its mind… Wait hold on."

"What?" before she finished Rho moved Thalia's hand away from the golden gadget, feeling the warmth of her hand for a second before placing it in the middle of the map, right between two mountains ranges.

"This here is the Oquirrh Mountain range." He said pointing to the large contours on the east side of the Astrolobe. "And this is the Stansbury Mountains, to the west. Watch the arms on the face, look where they stop for a second." They all watched as one of the arms paused in an East North East direction, and when it stopped Rho placed his finger on the direction is focused and traced his finer until he hit a landmark on the map, circling it. "Farnsworth Peak." Then he did it again when the hand moved another direction, following its direction when it stopped south westerly. "Vickory Peak."

"I see it!" Thalia shouted as he circled the next mark the Astrolobe pointed to. "It's pointing to all the peaks on the mountains in the Oquirrh and Stansbury. So, Euryale and the sceptre is hidden on top on of the peaks, but nothing can determine which one."

Rho was finished when he circled a total of 10 peaks. "That's a lot to choose from. No way can we sort this in time." Rho sighed.

"Today is the 16th of May." Thalia said. "We need to deal with this sooner than later or…"

"By the Seventeenth." Rho said as he finally looked at the date on the Astrolobe. Of course, Seventeen. His number, it can't be a coincidence.

"Why the Seventeenth?" Phoebe asked, confused.

Rho straightened up, his breath voice lost for a second. He had never even considered what date it was, everything was so perfectly aligned for demi-gods it seemed unfeasible. "I was told that number was special to me. It can't be a coincidence."

"So." Thalia said, smiling even though Rho knew she was feeling a little tense. "We have to scale two mountain ranges by tomorrow, or it might be too late to stop Euryale using that sceptre for Kronos' purposes. This sounds like a challenge."

* * *

 **-A/N: So, hello there. This will be the only Authors note, don't worry. It's just to update everyone on what's going on.**

 **I have worked none stop the past 4 days to bring the story up to date, improving the mistakes on it previous addition from 2 years ago. I want Rho's tale to finish, and have intended to for some time. I aim for 30 chapters, but maybe more will come after. I will stick to updating once a week, or at least twice over two weeks. I am a university student and I can't promise miracles, the fact this story is back is itself impressive.**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for all the favourites, followers and reviews so far. I hope you are all excited to see this story reach great things!**

 **-Denk**


	17. Chapter 17 - Plan in Action

Chapter 17

The next morning was met with sombre rain, mixing all the emotions felt by the hunters and Rho and flowing into a pond of angst. The scent of the Great Salt Lake was as pure as ever as Rho emerged from his smaller tent, his jacket over his shoulders and sporting a new hand garb given to him by a nymph hunter to protect his string and sword-arm better. He liked the leather brown accent clashing with his silver.

The sun was barely rising over the horizon as he starched and yawned. The 17th. This was his judgment day. It seemed weird that everything was tying so perfectly. The images on the pot he was on display when the Muses paid him a visit, showing him running up a mountain with a black haired girl in hand, that would be him and Thalia this very morning. Even down to his name, being the Seventeenth number in Greek.

He stopped trying to look as nervous as he felt. He pressed the soft spot on the tent and it folded back into a tight compressed fold almost the size of a tea-towel and moved to Thalia's tent. None of the hunters were up, and those on watched wouldn't be able to see him sneak inside it quietly.

"Thal?" The interior of the tent was plain but larger then it was outside. She was laying across a hammock that swung gently even though she had obviously not moved for a while, since her cheek was red from the imprint of her hand.

She opened her eyes and intently loved the sheets over to cover her nude top. "Rho what-" She stopped herself shouting before she relaxed. "When I said see me early in the morning I didn't mean this early, nor see me here."

"Well excuse me for wanting to see my favourite huntress as early as possible." He smiled as he knelt down beside he hammock, making him eye-level to it. He looked at Thalia so casually, like he had seen the sight of her half naked on a bed a thousand times, which since he often remembered a certain memory was sort of true. She looked at him with disappointed eyes. "Look I'm cheesy okay?

She managed a smile and pulled his head closer to hers. "Well I think you are my favourite hunter too, so I guess its fine dork." She pulled him up and he hung his arms into the hammock to kiss her gently. It had felt like ages since he had felt her embrace, overdue and long awaited. He wasn't sure what made him so into her. She was beautiful of course, he was even surprised about that since she wasn't really his type usually, but he felt he couldn't go a day without looking into her blue eyes and seeing her red lips smile at him. He didn't want to put his finger on it, he was happy with it.

"Hey what's with the staring?" Rho focused his eyes on her face, a small smile on the edge of her lips. He returned it, speaking slowly and calmly. "We can't really hang around. I think Artemis will be back soon and we should get the plan of attack out."

She lost her smile and Rho almost felt him want to take back what he said, but he knew he was ultimately right and she seemed to as well. "Let me get changed, I'll see you in the big tent in 10." He kissed her forehead as he stood up, not wanting to leave but he knew he should. He moved to the front and she called him back. "Hey, Rho?"

"Yea?"

"Whatever happens, don't think you can't do beat him." She looked at him with a stern face, like the one she would give him if she was yelling at him but more concerned, fiercer in a way. He didn't know what she meant, and wanted to press her on it but he heard voices from outside and gave her one last look before moving back into the early morning air.

He walked around a few tents heading towards his own but he mistaking ran into the line of sight of a hunter on watch. Within a second she was on him, and he had no idea how she ran that fast. She was right against his face, her yellow eyes boring into his. She was around 15, but could just look older because of her fierce expression. Her skin was darker than most and her hair brown like a polished Oak wood surface. "What where you doing?" He voice was sharp and Hispanic, he guess she was Latin-American.

"Uhh." He took too long to respond he knew it. She raised an eyebrow and he tried his best to remain calm, he knew it would be suspicious if he was caught walking about the girl's tents, since his was usually located on the other side of the camp by the galleys and mess tents. "I was checking on the morning patrols. How goes it?"

She glared for a second, her hand moving to her bow. But in almost a second her expression changed, she stood upright and let her hand raise to her head in salute. "All's clear this morning M' Lord. Not a monster to report, though some of the wider patrols ran into a few loose harpies, but they handled it internally."

"R-right." This girl was one of the obscure of the hunters. He had never interacted with her before but she was certainly of the most unique. "Who are you?"

The girl moved her hand into a salute, but smiled toothily at him. "Lucia sir!" He wasn't much comfortable being called 'sir' or 'M'lord' but he guessed he had to take it. He checked the astrolabe for a second then wondered something.

"Lucia… Can you do me a favour?" She nodded eagerly, almost so much the leaves in her hair were about to fall. "If you see my mother enter camp any time soon, can you send her my way?"

Lucia saluted again. "Para qué soy buena! I'll get right on it!" Rho wasn't quite sure what she meant but he took what he got.

Rho was genuinely pleased to have someone so helpful and not volatile towards him. "Thank you Lucy, really it's a nice change to have someone do me a favour in this camp for once."

"Oh of course! I mean, I understand what it's like being pushed aside and treated like nothing." Lucia went off before he could ask her what she meant. She ran off into the fields and disappeared in the arid salts across the way. He shrugged the odd feeling he had on his shoulders and moved to the Big Tent. He got a strange vibe from her, but nothing negative. It felt like she didn't appear for no apparently reason.

* * *

He waited in the large tent for around half an hour before Phoebe entered with her middle finger royally pointing at him, closely flanked by Thalia who pretended she didn't care. He had to admit her acting was on point, but he tried his best to just act like he didn't notice anything.

After they had settled down, and luckily before Phoebe could make a comment about how he tried his best to sit closer to Thalia than usual, Artemis moved into the tent, smiling when she saw them. "Ah good morning my hunters, and Rho." She moved over to him and took his hand. Her appearance is what caught him off guard. Her hair was auburn, just like his, and her face was younger almost like she would be his sister. She smiled as she noticed his blank expression. "I haven't worn this look in a while, and well I like your hair."

To her flank he noticed Lucia standing at the tent. He waved to her and she smiled, before closing the tent flaps and disappearing. He felts the hairs on his arm closest the Thalia stand up for some reason, though her face was unreadable.

"Lucia told me you wished to see me here. She is a very able hunter for a child of Aphrodite." She pulled him to the table where they had worked on last night was laid out. "So what are the plans you have laid out?"

Thalia stood next to them, pointing to the marks they had made the night before. "We tried our best to track witch mountain top they had placed themselves, but even Rho's astrolabe only pointed to the various peaks. We thought it best to split up the hunters in order to search each top in teams of around 10, each then securing a mountain top and leaving some to guard and serve as lookouts."

Artemis observed the map in detail. "Spilling the hunters apart… It's unorthodox, and with the numbers continuing to diminish the further we go on, the greater the risk."

"It's the fastest option." Rho cut him with a sombre face. "Today is the Seventeenth. For some reason it's a stupidly specific number for me, and it's not a random occurrence."

His mother frowned as she looked at him. "A Demigod's life is so often planned to the last breathe, and with you having this unknown every coincidence should be taken as more then so." She sighed. "Well is see no other option of confrontation. This fight must be over by the time my Chariot is due in the sky."

They spent the next hour hastily sorting the hunters into teams. Having 10 peaks and only around 40 hunters to split. The decided they would rule a few of the peaks out and focus on those higher than the rest for the hunters to set up a watch post. Then it came to whom Rho shall travel with and where.

"I guess I'll take the Stansbury, I'll head with Thalia's team." Artemis looked at him curiously and Rho quickly came up with an excuse. "Well two of us make up about the same threat you would, so it makes sense. I can put up with just me and her for a day."

"Can I have some extra arrows to shoot him?" Thalia asked with her best plain face. "Just in case he turns out to be a moron?"

"You already call me a moron."

"Oh in that case I need those arrows for sure."

Phoebe pushed Rho's face away from Thalia's, even though he wasn't anywhere close to her. "I'll stay with Our Lady. You two can bicker once you are out of camp. You'll be taking a smaller number of hunters since there is only two peaks we decided to watch over in that range. Think you can handle in smaller numbers?"

Rho looked at Thalia for a second, and found a slight smirk across her face. "Yeah, we'll be just fine."

"What would be the easiest access points to Stansbury?" Thalia queried.

Phoebe traced her finger along the waving lines that showed paths leading to the mountain tops. She grimaced as she read the name. "Well says here a place called Skull Valley, which sounds very inviting."

"Skull Valley?"

Rho turned as Artemis spoke so quietly he thought himself the only person the hear standing next to her. Her face was pale and her eyes losing some of its shine. The fact a goddess had such a scared expression just from a name meant whatever it was can't be good.

"What's so bad about Skull Valley?" The other too looked up at him confused until they saw their ladies grave face and stood straight.

Artemis took a second before speaking. "Shull Valley is among the first places that resisted the arrival of Western influence, especially those of the Gods. The American Natives worshipped their own spirits, most of which I came to understand to be very close to nature and hunting. I thought for myself being the Goddess of the Hunt they would be more welcoming of me. Never where they hostile and they allowed me to hunt in their lands, to which I was grateful.

"However this was a time when things were not so great for the Gods. Wars were raged between cousins and brothers, and the people of Skull Valley found their lands being taken by the migrating Mormons. But it seemed the spirits they worshipped were not the ones they thought were their own, but Monsters that migrated with us from our homeland."

Thalia scratched her arms nervously, trying her best not to look worried. "So they confused a Greek monster for a spirit?"

Artemis nodded. "They gave the monster sacrifice, and in turn it feed from their safety and misguided protection. Zeus declared that the monster be slain. It appeared in the shape of a Bear, but I saw past its disguise. It was Arae, a cursed spirit whom took form of a sacred animal to feed from the innocent tribe. It made their anger grow towards the new settlers on their land, and eventually war broke out. It was the son of Zeus, a man named Patrick Conner, who fought them and force the survivors to give up the monster.

"When they obeyed, it was already too late. The Arae had cursed the land where the natives had died. None settle there anymore from the fear of the dead spirits rising again. They particularly dislike Demigods." Artemis turned to Thalia. The silence held in the room for a second before the words he dreaded to fear spilled from his mother's lips. "Especially children of Zeus."

* * *

"Of course, just perfect. Not a single child of Zeus has stepped on this land in 200 years and OF COURSE it's me who is going to piss off an Ancient Indian burial ground."

Thalia seemed more angry and upset about the unfortunate path they were going to take. She was given the option to climb the other mountains but she declined, and Rho was pretty sure it was because of him. He felt bad that she would rather walk into a place that would probably try and kill her just because of her father's son from 2 centuries ago being an asshole then be separated from him. He felt he needed to protect her even more now. "They prefer being called Native Americans, not Indians."

She gave him the look at said 'Speak again and I'll zap you pretty boy.' They walked along the edges of the Salt Lake, gazing over the arid shores and the distant deep blue water. It was almost beautiful, seeing something so immense yet barely full of anything. There was obviously a small drought in the lake. The sky want grey, a departure from their previously great weather, and now a depressing chilled spring wind bite at their skin.

Surprisingly, their group of about 9 hunters came with a familiar face. Lucia walked just behind Rho, and frequently gave input into conversation enthusiastically.

For a daughter of Aphrodite, and from his previous encounters with the children of love, he found her company completely different to that of overly-touchy Vivian. She was warm and friendly, and didn't impose him with any sort of persuasion or seduction. It didn't stop Thalia feeling a little bit electric though, he could see it in her eyes that her presence and friendliness towards him was also reason to hostile. Rho just shrugged.

They had been walking the edge of the lake in their small group ever since they split from Artemis and her group only an hour or so before. The Oquirrh Mountain range looked difficult to track but she seemed confident and lead them foot first as Rho would expect by now. From what he heard from Annebeth and the other Demigods back at Camp Half-Blood, the campers didn't spend nearly as much time with their Godly parents as he did. He wasn't sure why this was but he was grateful his mother was around to help him understand his powers a bit more.

He was born from the master hunter, and with it came hunting abilities the likes of which almost equal that of hers. His reflexes were faster, his senses stronger, and he held in his head an archive of natural remedies and aids. His skill with a bow had already been proven to impress both Artemis and her brother Apollo. He felt stronger in the presence of the Hunters and his mother. He was starting to learn more about his powers the more he went on this journey.

They were approaching the far south-west of the lake, and as they got closer the size of the Stansbury range really started to hit him. The hills closer to them looked high enough, let alone the snow-capped mountains further south. So far they hadn't encountered any resistance or setbacks, but that would probably all change now they were approaching a sign with the label 'Skull Valley – 1km. Access to Stansbury Range: Highest elevation Deseret Peak-11,035FT ABV.S'

"I mean, they could just leave out the height part." Rho said, his insides feeling queasy.

He was surprised Thalia didn't make a sarcastic comment at him as he said this, but rather he noticed she didn't even look at the sign, almost like she was forcing herself not to. "We need to keep moving. The quicker we get through Skull Valley the better."

"Sí! I agree with Thalia." Lucia smiled warmly as they headed off again. Rho noticed many of the hunters seemed a little tenser. It was hovering above them and it felt as heavy as an elephant. He moved up next to Lucia.

"Why is everyone so different and anxious all of a sudden?" He asked, whispering gently to make sure Thalia who was talking to another Hunter about preparing for a surprise attack. Lucia lost her smile slightly but her eyes remained warm.

"A few months ago, we lost a fresh hunter in an area similar to this in Arizona. Bianca Di Angelo, she had only joined a few days prior. She had potential, but children of the Big Three are always having such luck unfortunately."

"A child of what?" Rho said a little louder, this time catching the attention of Thalia, who looked back at him with an old face. She looked annoyed and irritated at him.

"The Big Three. The Three most powerful Gods, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades. The Three who agreed to never have children for risk of the world coming to an end because of a stupid prophecy." She snapped at him. "But that didn't bloody stop them. In fact, only Hades keep his promise! I'll be it due to technicalities." She picked up her speed and rush a few metres futher from him. Rho felt his face burn with embarrassment and guilt. He shouldn't have been so inconsiderate. Of course she would have known Bianca, since Arizona was where Annebeth mentioned she had quested with Thalia and Percy and a few others. She never mentioned Bianca, but he guess because it was a painful to remember.

"It's a shame really." Lucia continued. "Nico blamed himself ever since for what happened, and he barely visits us."

"Nico?"

"Oh Nico is Bianca's younger brother. He was there when she died. Poor thing." Rho had to admit, seeing your own sister die must have been rough, especially if he was young. Rho suddenly realised the empty space around them wasn't so safe. In fact its emptiness was almost the biggest thing that freaked him out.

He froze. Lucia stopped a little ahead of him, about to ask him what was wrong but he hushed her, the noise bringing the rest of the group to a halt. Thalia turned to him but didn't question his sudden halt. He kept his ears open, picking each sound around him from the slightly breeze as it hit the dusty floor, drifting it away in the distance or the heartbeats of the group around him, one of which was gently picking up speed.

Finally Thalia asked what he guess everyone was thinking. "You think it's too quiet?"

"Something like that." Rho said as he felt the breeze against his back. He felt the dust pic up around his face, pricking his skin as the cold breeze slapped against his face. Around then small bushes rocked as the wind slowly picked up. Picking up a little bit more so the dust swirled around them. He felt the way the wind formed around it, seeing its arms stretch out as if to hug the hunters and him.

Then it grabbed him. He felt his body crushed by an enormous invisible strength holding his shoulders and arms against his body, squeezing the air out of him so he couldn't warn the others. Soon he heard them scream and opened his screwed eyes slightly to see each other them struggling against an invisible force. He saw their bows drop to the floor as they tried to reach around to punch, elbow or desperately claw at what it was that held them but they couldn't touch anything but wind.

Rho himself tried to kick at the thing holding him but to no avail, it only squeezed tighter. He felt the air unable to enter his lungs and in his panic his senses dull and his strength leave him. He turned to try and look at the invisible, but then it started to take shape. The dust seemed to be swirling and piecing itself into the shape of a human, its vague features showing across its many speckled face. Their faces showed anger, their form seeming to fade in an out of existence as the wind picked them up and dropping them again.

Rho couldn't breathe. Even if he took a breath the wind quickly stole it from him, snatching it from his lungs with a large gust. He could feel his body grow more and more painful as the lack of oxygen his him, and his body struggled more and more as he continued to fight. He heard a light thud and a loud coughing, as well as a sudden metallic sound and a familiar crackling. Rho pushed against the strength but to no avail, he felt as if he was in the vice of the giant Crab Karkinos, its pincer about to break his ribcage and almost split him in half.

Then he felt a burning heat from his left, moving around his back and making his hair stand on end. A loud surging noise and he was dropped to the floor, free of the grip of whatever held him. His fist clutched the dust on the floor as he caught his breath, only to be lifted up by an arm as his vision returned. Thalia stood with her spear out of its mace-holster, his face red and her arms red from the grip of the phantom dust that had held them. She had obviously managed to reach the cap on her spear and was able to escape to save him, the other hunters seemed to be realised as soon as Rho was, as if the wind had retreated.

He felt his senses return. He sucked in lungful's of dusty air and coughed slightly. "You… know… I thought I felt something creeping up on me. I… Totally saw THAT coming."

Thalia just cracked a smile as he drew his sword. His bow wouldn't help much in this battle unfortunately. He doubted his sword would do anything, it was the lighting that scared off whatever attacked them. The wind picked up again, and with it Rho heard something carry with it.

 _Dowoyagaide~_

 _Dowoyagaitegidu'I katsun dai~_

 _gutsuu'wa- kattainten_

 _weda'~ Dowoyagaide katsun weda' bennese ~_

"What are they saying?" Rho called out as he held the mirrored silver to his face incase another phantom dust-human tried to grab him again.

Thalia started to reply. "Whatever it is, its not-"

 _Zeus~ gai denangandee' Zeus gizhaandee'~_

Rho looked at Thalia as her face went from serious to worry. "Well I think that might be something to be concerned about."

The wind picked up around them, swirling in a wide circle, enclosing the group of hunters in an arena of dust foliage. Rho readied his sword, pressing his back to Thalia, finding his hand reaching down to find hers.

He gripped her hand for a second, wishing her all his luck, before she pulled out her shield and he readied himself for a fight.


	18. Chapter 18 - Sandstorm and Rock Climbing

**Hi, again.**

* * *

Chapter 18-

Rho slashed his sword as the raging phantom winds swirling around them, the dust-bodied spirits of the dead tribe unrelenting in their assault on his group. He slashed left and right, their hands still getting through and pulling on his exposed arms, the rough grip of the dust cutting his skin. He must have taken out tens, hundreds, it felt like he had been fighting warrior after infinite amount of warriors as they stood on the desert floor, the rain seeming to have stopped around the arid scope they stood on, the still dry dust rising up into legs, waist, torso, arms and then head time and time again.

He yelled to Thalia to his left, her attacks quick as she shot currents of lightning down the length of her spear. "They aren't giving up!"

"That's because it's a curse upon spirits, idiot!" She slashed through two of them who tried to get her in a pincer, but she simple dispersed them by slicing her spear in an arc. "We need to figure out how to stop the effects of the Arae!"

Rho gritted his teeth, another onslaught from a large dust-warrior who held what seemed to be a club in his hand. Rho moved his head away from the downward strike, flipping his sword over in his hand and slicing through its torso. At least a killing blow seemed to disperse them, only for a while at least before they re-materialised.

As another attack him, and he flew his sword through its chest he thought hard about how to break this. Their tribe was tricked by the monster, curing their souls to never to pass through the dust on the ground, almost literally it seems. This Arae's curse needs to be stopped but he was struggling for how it could.

He lost his footing, distracted in his own thoughts as a warrior came from his back, knocking Rho to the floor. He lost his breath, his cry unheard as he thudded to his knees as the warrior held him down. He tried to catch a breath but dust flew into his lungs, making him cough as the sharp pain dried and cut his throat. He still managed a tight hold on his sword but he felt his arms grow weaker as his body burned with the dry dust hitting his insides and outs.

The weight of the warrior pressing him down suddenly dispersed, and a hand reached down in front of him. "Up!" he grabbed the hand without looking at his helper, standing up and moving himself back into his stance. "Can you still fight my lord?" Rho turned to see Lucia standing with her dagger raised, a newly stern face completely changing her composure.

He coughed his lungs clear. "Y-yeah… We just need to break the curse!"

"How can we? The Arae is gone-" She stopped her sentence as another phantom, a female, tried to claw at Lucia's face, but she quickly dodged as Rho stepped in to slice her in two. "-how can we break something like this anyway?"

Rho didn't have time to respond with even an empty answer as he ducked under a swing and slashed through another attacker that flailed towards him. He calmed his breathing, slowing his surroundings to get a better look as he gazed around him.

His group had split up, keeping apart by at least 5 metres per person. Thalia was at the centre, and seemed to be the focus of the ambush, having to fight off 4 or 5 at a time while the others took ease with a singular assailant. She stood her own though, spinning and dodging close blows by barely a hair and bashing her shield in their faces. The face of her shield, Aegis, shows the Medusa, but it seemed that it had no effect on those foreign to the legend of the stone-gaze.

Rho watched as a dust-warrior rose from the sand. Its body being formed just as a shell of flying particles from nothing, slowly rising from the earth. He watched the dust cling to the invisible bodies. There was a slightly harsher breeze at that moment, and he saw as the dust that clung to its form flew off, being replaced once the wind subsided.

"That's it."

Rho dropped his breathing, sprinting towards the centre of the fight, slashing and cutting apart the phantoms that got in his way. He ducked under a large tomahawk, slicing the arm off the feather-headed warrior as he past and got to his feet. He reached out and grabbed Thalia who was still being relentlessly attacked by an onslaught.

"Can you summon wind?" He yelled at her, stabbing his sword out to stop another assailant. She stood there holding her shield up to protect them as she processed what he said.

"You think I can blow these guys away?" She scoffed at him, throwing her shield upwards to bash a phantom's face.

"I'd say you were that good looking." He smirked, but he knew he would get that thrown in his face later. He sliced another apart and continued. "The wind needs to be strong enough so the dust doesn't have enough strength to keep their bodies together, can you do it?"

She stood straight with her spear in both hands before she struck it to the dirt floor. Suddenly a chill overcame Rho, his hairs on every part of his skin standing up as she summoned her power.

"Brace yourselves!" he heard Lucia shout to the others as she dug her foot into the earth. Rho moved his sword in his hand, flicking it blade down in his hand and driving it as hard as he could into the ground just before the hurricane hit them.

The wind rushed around them, driving the dirt into Rho's eyes making him shut them and rely on his hearing alone to get a sense of the situation, but he heard nothing but the howling wind around them and the flicking of sand hitting his ear. He heard the faint carried scream of a hunter being carried by the air as he held tightly to his sword as he already felt his grip slipping from its hilt.

He suddenly felt a hand reach around his shoulder, pulling him up making him let go of his sword. He tried to fight back, but he suddenly realised the rattling of dust flying against his ear had stopped, and the strong tornado had stopped pulling at his hair and clothes. He risked opening his eyes, expecting them to sting but instead he found himself able to see what was happening around him.

A brown dust-storm whirled around him and the hunters, who seemed to have been pulled out her own storm by Thalia, who seemed to be the eye of the storm, holding his shoulder with her shield hand and spear still grasped in the other, the conduit of the sky's power. Rho looked into the storm and saw the melting faces of the phantoms who failed to take form, their bodies being torn away before they could complete. Rho pulled his sword from the ground and stood beside her. He face showed she was clearly already struggling to keep it up, a bead of sweat forming on her brow.

Rho had to act fast. If she ran out of energy here and now they would be at more of a disadvantage. He had to lead them out of here, and assuming Thalia could keep the storm up at least until they had enough time to escape towards a better ground. He tried pulled out his astrolabe, checking its hands and dials and gritting his teeth.

Rho grabbed her shield hand without thinking, and she looked at him in surprised as Aegis folded back into her bracelet. He gave her a look that said 'Concentrate.' And he began to take a step forward, burdening himself with the effort of leading her as she controlled the storm. She followed him, closing her eyes to keep her effort on maintaining the winds rather than focus on her direction. The others hunters followed, their knives and bows raised ready to defend.

Rho pulled her along, knowing that they couldn't afford to go slow and to make as much ground as possible. The problem, was, he didn't know how far he needed to walk, just the direction that his gold astrolabe gave him. The storm around them was already showing cracks, weakness as Thalia's power diminished. He felt her grip loosen around his hand, and he resorted to pulling her into his side to keep her standing straight. He saw her mouth pursed shut, her breathing growing faster and shallower, he moved faster but he was also finding her body grow heavier as her legs began to shake.

'Come on…!' He thought to himself. 'Come on… I believe in you, you can make it Thal!'

He felt his foot touch something harder than soft dust, and looked downwards to find a solid black surface, smooth and giving his foot an easy ballast. Tarmac, they reached a connecting road. He pulled Thalia onto the surface but kept going, not wanting to stop but he soon felt her body give way, the storm slowly distorting around them as she fell to her knee's.

"I-I can't I'm sorry..." She breathed heavily as he dropped down to stop her falling flat on her face. He held her in his arms as she caught her breath and the dust fell around them, the hunters forming a circle to protect their lieutenant and their leader's son.

"Eyes open!" One of them shouted to the group.

Rho took his eyes away from Thalia, searching around them for any sign of another attack. Around them dust still flicked up to the height of their knees but nothing seemed to move around them. Rho felt his body shiver and tense, he could tell that it was almost too quiet.

"There!" An arrow shot over his head, launching through the air towards where they had just come. He watched it as it drove itself through a forming body of a warrior who stood on the edge of the road. The arrow piled through its body, affecting its stature as it remained there, its feet in the dust by the road. The hunters began to close in as more dust began to swirl on the road-side.

"Wait…" Rho watched as the dust formed legs and bodies that didn't move, but stayed in a lined formation on the earth, their feet unmoving as the hunters approached. "Wait stop moving!"

The hunters looked back at Rho, but obeyed his order and stopped in their tracks. Lucia turned her head towards the phantom warriors and pulled her bow away. "They can't cross onto the road."

The faces of the warriors remained unchanged, the anger shared between them all almost rose like a red cloud above them. They didn't even try and move their legs as more and more members formed from dust around them until there was more than a small army on the roadside, and growing more and more as they stood there on the black border.

"Why aren't they moving?" A hunter turned asked the question on everyone's mind.

 _Hapikku~_

"They are talking again." Rho said quietly as he listened.

"Please tell me they are calling me names." Thalia said in barely a whisper as she tried to catch her breath. "I'll give them a wind big enough to blow their mouths away.." She stopped talking and clutched her chest.

 _Zeus gizhaandee'~ aidizatohdaxu Pĭ'gĭñ-gwa-ci~_

Rho stopped for a second as he held Thalia in his grip. The words they were saying, or the way they were saying it, it made him sad somehow. He felt something in their words that felt unfortunate, saddened by something. They all had their eyes locked on the group, but the majority stared at Thalia with intent, be it anger or something else he couldn't tell anymore.

Lucia crouched down with them, pulling out a small bottle of golden liquid. Nectar, Rho had heard it was called. Lucia helped Thalia take gulp as she smiled as the warm liquid trickled down her throat. "Oh gods that's a good cheeseburger." He heard her mutter.

He turned up to the group. "We need to get out of here."

* * *

Thalia was still holding onto his arms arms as they walked. They walked along the paved road, avoiding stepping off it either side in case more angry spirits rose to hurl dust in their eyes and wind them to death. They had been walking long enough for the sand in their shoes to start making them sore.

"My lord, look!" Lucia pointed ahead towards an abandoned set of run down buildings near a graveyard. From a distance it looked bad, but up close it was creepier.

The housed were empty. Of walls and windows, almost everything but the shell of the houses and the roof, though most had holes and had filled with sand and withered looking plants. They stepped off the road carefully, their weapons at the ready. If this was any place for Dust Devils to rise, the ambush would be too tempting.

"We haven't much time. We need to get this time to rest. We set out before 11." Rho told the hunters to set a perimeter as he rested Thalia down. She had seemed to respond all fine, though she had the occasional coughing fit which resulted in worryingly large amounts of sand.

She turned around to him, clutching his collar gently. "Have the hunters set a perimeter?"

Rho nodded. "Yeah we are resting here for a bit before we set off. Thal are you okay?" He barely had time to finish before she pulled him by the collar, planting her lips against his. Somehow they weren't dry and he simply smiled knowing she must have been fine.

"This isn't exactly the most romantic of spots." Thalia smirked as she rested against the wall. "Heard anything from Lady Artemis?"

Rho shook his head. "No news is good news I guess. They are probably making more time than us. We've had way too many setbacks, we'll have to double our-" Rho stopped as he heard a shuffling in the house, almost right behind him. He drew his sword, ready to fight a sandstorm.

" _Son of_ _great tekai̲te~_ "

Rho looked down as his spine shivered. The voice came from a man who seemed to appear from nowhere. He appeared shirtless, his skin darker than his and hair a chocolate brown with hint or greying around its tips. An elderly gentleman then. Rho gulped a lump in his throat, standing up. He held his sword in his grip, but watched as the Old Man showed no sign of aggression, his shoulders were moving as if he was working with something in his hands and his back was completely expose. If he was another phantom, he would certainly be cut clean open easy. But this person was living, or at least a living body.

Rho moved his sword back into is holster.

"What are you-" Thalia retorted but Rho raised a finger gently and she hushed. He found his act rather natural and barely noticed he did it.

Rho moved until he was at least a foot away from the Old Man. He defiantly had features similar to that of the Goshute warriors that he faced, but while his eyes were fierce and powerful, his voice was gentle and wise as it spoke. He kept his hands working on what Rho could now see was a clump of the dried plants, wrapping them together like a weave around a pot of boiling water. How did Rho not see him? Had he already been there? Or was he some kind of spirit too.

The Old Man looked up at him, smiling so peacefully Rho couldn't held but lower his guard completely, as if his gestures made Rho realise he was no threat. " _You have the puniku of the great man-e-goots, our lovely watcher and friend."_

Rho stood for a second, trying to figure out what he meant as he stared into the ghostly eyes. Then he blinked as he put it together. "I am the Son of Artemis, born of the stars Orion."

He heard Thalia behind him gasp slightly and appear to almost try and step towards him, but he heard her stop, turning back slightly to see Lucia holding her back. Lucia nodded and Thalia looked at him with worried eyes telling him to watch himself.

Rho turned back to the Old Man, sitting next to him, the gap between them no bigger than a swords length. The man spoke again. " _I am_ _Aponivi, son of Cha'akmongwi. I speak for my tribe, the Goshute."_

"Being ignorant here, I can't pronounce any of those names. Can I call you Apo?"

Apo laughed gently into his arm. His laughter felt warm and friendly, nothing like the Phantom ghosts of the Goshutes had been to him before. " _I like that. I hope that this house keeps you warm while you rest. It's occupants left many years ago to sunnier isles. Though, they didn't know much about the old bones that lay beneth them."_

 _"_ Yeah about those old bones?"

" _Fret not. You step off the land. They had no strength to speak and cry their ills. Young warrior, you stepped upon our cursed land, and because so the actions of my cursed people where not our own, but the work of the evil Tizipe."_

"The Arae." Rho nodded solemnly. "I am pretty new to this too… I can't imagine how you guys must have felt seeing such a new monster in your lands." Rho quickly reiterated. "That is if… You are a sprit like them?"

Apo nodded slowly, but not answering Rho's question continued. _"It was a powerful wind that blew us under our feet. The clan leader was naïve thinking it was a benevolent. Before anyone could stop it, it consumed us and our mugua. Before my tribe knew it their bodies melted to the dust and became earth, and only anger is what they felt."_ Apo turned to Thalia, who stood with the help of Lucia. " _Anger towards the father of em-boo-e-bit kongoyopoppa'en, who they thought purged our benevolent master, before they knew, all our fates were already sealed._ "

Thalia cleared her throat. "Well… I would be pretty pissed if someone came along and killed someone who I thought was helping me."

Apo seemed to smile, dropping the twisted stems of the dried plants into the boiling water and stirring it with his finger as if the heat gave him no pain. Rho continued. "So the Arae… the Tizipe, was killed by Zeus and Artemis, and your people blamed them for it all?"

Apo sighed. _"You stepped over the border of our ogobi, our land. Our spirits are forever bound to it."_ Apo smiled again, reaching his hand out to Rho and placing in his hand a clump of the boiled plant. The ball was warm and surprisingly soft to touch. _"The mountain calls to you. Atop the peak, there is something that can save my tribe. Death is but a new life, a life we crave, Rhonan of man-e-goots."_

"My lord?" Rho turned to see a hunter in the doorway of the house. "It is time to depart soon… My lord are you alright?" Rho turned back to face Apo but found the pace he occupied gone, empty. He turned to Thalia and Lucia who looked as shocked at the sudden disappearance too. It took Rho a moment of watching, listening as best he could for any sudden movement but decided he was truly gone and turned back to Thalia, moving to her front to hold her up for support.

"I'm fine it's okay."

"Yeah I know you are fine." Rho said to her as he gripped her arm.

"You think Apo was…?"

Rho shrugged and gestured to Lucia to go to the other hunters. She nodded and left them, and Rho felt in his hand the bundle of dried leaves and stems that Apo had given him. He pulled a small zip on his bag and put it away. "Hey, that was really amazing you know."

"What?"

"That was a pretty powerful storm you brushed up back there."

She grinned back at him, and then suddenly the two were forced apart by Lucia who stood to attention in front of the doorway, taking Rho off guard. "Are you well enough to continue on Ma'am?"

Thalia scoffed slightly, brushing the dust off her robes and adjusted herself. "Quite Lucia. Quite well enough thank you." She scorned.

* * *

By midday Rho's feet felt like they had walked the entire marathon length, Athens to Sparta, 26 miles of pure burning muscle and yet they still didn't feel like they had made progress. The first peak was in sight, but then again it had been for an hour, a serious of snowy-caps mounds pressed together to form what seemed like a sugar-coated brownie pyramid. Rho's stomach rumbled, he was also hungry.

The trek up had also been made in almost complete silence. A few times Lucia tried to motivate everyone, shouting with a rather charming voice "Come on we can do it!" But they were only met with a glare from Thalia that made even Rho feel the shivers of electricity make his hair stand on end. She was clearly not wanting to give anyone the time of day, even Rho dared not to talk to her, and once they had lagged behind the rest he tried to grab her hand secretly, only for her to quickly pull it away. He could tell she didn't reject it because she feared being caught.

In some ways, Rho was finding it hard to put up with her shit. He knew she was just the jealous type, and it was just the endless back and forth that made him irritated. He kept his tongue held back, he knew he had to make the situation easier somehow. He stopped his pace to wait for her, since she had taken the rear, and waited for her so he climbed the rocks next to her, but as he faced her he saw something he didn't expect. Her face was sweating far more than everyone else, her breathing heavier and her steps shaky, her grip tight enough her hands she used to balance were red and torn in places. She looks worse for wear certainly.

He waited for her to join him before he brushed her arms to help her stand upright. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him angrily. "It's nothing why have you stopped keep moving moron!" She herself didn't move though, but stayed shaking on the spot, her eyes not wavering from him. Rho looked out around him and wondered why she hadn't even bothered looking at the horizon.

"Wait." He said, looking down below them, the elevation high enough so not even people would seem visible, but rather like spots on a landscape. "Wait you are-"

"Shut up!" She whispered to him in a stern and hasted tone, glancing at the hunters ahead.

"You are telling me the daughter of the King of the Sky is afraid of-"

She reached close and punched his shoulder, nearly making him stumble and she screamed as he lost his foot for a moment before recovering. "Oh god I'm sorry I'm sorry." She apologised in such a fast and panicked way, clearly she didn't want him to fall either because she would feel unable to help save his life should he need it.

Rho sighed gently as he offered her his hand, but she said nothing and just stared at his fingers, conflicted. Rho smiled. "You can only do so much, let someone help out from time to time. Everyone has a weakness, right?"

She blushed more out of frustration then embarrassment as she took his hand. He pulled her close to him, letting her arms hold his waist as he guided her further up the rocks, the first peak getting closer. After a few paces she finally spoke in a quiet tone. "Thank you, Asshat."

"Aren't you glad you have a lovely boyfriend who is willing to help you conquer your fear?" He said gently so the others wouldn't hear.

"Boyfriend?" Thalia repeated the word, and though he wasn't looking he could tell she was smiling before her tone changed. "I mean, I don't need your help, it's just easier to climb this way."

"What are you, a fucking tsundere?"

She would have shocked him for that if not for him being her only balance and strength climbing the mountains. He helped her up high steps and downward slopes, the entire time he commended her for holding her own somewhat. She followed his steps carefully and soon they managed to get a pace to match the others so that soon they were close the first peak, Deseret. Behind the top peaked out the rest of the range, and it appeared that most of the climbing was done, just a few straight ridges and steps to get across the thing fast.

The sun was in the middle of the sky as Rho placed his foot on the top of Deseret and he immediately collapsed to his knees, quickly followed by Thalia who was panting just as much as he was. "That… That was the hard part, right?"

"Well, if this goes to plan we'll still have monsters to face!" A younger hunter spoke out to him, not seeming exhausted at all as they removed a golden Drachma from a pouch. Rho watched them as they scooped up some snow into a metal pot. "Right, Greek Fire please."

"What are you doing?" Rho said slightly unsettled that a girl looking no older than 13 handling a dangerous chemical like Greek fire.

"We are making enough steam to send a message to our lady." Lucia explained as she pulled out a jar and slowly dripped a droplet of the liquid, which as it hit the snow immediately sizzled and sent a cloud of steam rising from the pot, which quickly refracted the sun as it peaked out from the clouds and created a rainbow. The young hunter then tossed the Drachma inside and spoke.

" _Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering, and send our message to the Lady Artemis."_

As she finished speaking the rainbow began to shine like a mirror and a face began to appear, the bright auburn hair and silver eyed toothy grin of Artemis in her young form. "Ah, good news! You made it to the first peak?"

"Deseret Secured, m' lady." Lucia smiled as she crouched in front of Artemis' hovering face. "How are things your end?"

"No monster in sight, we are about to be sending the teams ahead to secure the peaks further on. Rest while you can. I can see the trouble ahead of you."

"Trouble?" Rho said, still panting.

"You don't see it?" Artemis said surprised. "It's hard to miss a swarm of flying pig-bats."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Been a while. I hope people still care about this story. I am a pretty awful schedule keeper, so I apologise. Again. For the 3rd time. Well if you guys want more of this then please let me know, or if you want something new (or both). I really want to keep this going and motivation from readers is the best thing for it. Thank you for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19 - Slip Ups

**Chapter 19** **– Slip Ups**

Squeals filled the Stansbury mountain range. Horrifying, sharp echoes punching the rippling air. He could see them now, black bodied, pink winged, snout-faced monstrosities that Rhonan would have been revolted by, if not for the other countless number of disgusting mismatched creatures he had fought since the start of this adventure. There were certainly a lot more of these though. They weren't exactly gargantuan like the Chickorse, more micro pig sized. But their wails still made Rho hold his guard as they circled the next peak.

The Hunters had made small defences for those staying behind to defend the approach behind them, which would go through Deseret where they stood and descend to the next peak. Thalia was still holding his arm tightly. To the point where he had passed the pain stage and just wished he'd still have an arm by the end of this. It was a downhill decent from here, the next peak could be seen beyond, not that much of a lower elevation however.

"Vickory." Rho whispered to Thalia. "Think you and I can make it?"

"I'm certain the three of us will make it all fine!" Rho jumped as Lucia squeezed between them. Thalia shot her so many glares you would have though a thunderstorm would strike her a thousand times.

"You aren't staying with the others?" Rho asked her.

Lucia shook her head and began counting her arrows. "I am must more useful being with you Rhonan. Besides, I trust my sisters will hold their own against a swarm of those things, but I don't trust you two to focus on the road ahead."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Thalia stood up, shouting the words without even realising the other hunters had turned to look at the commotion.

Lucia sighed and stood up to meet Thalia but kept her voice as quiet as possible for no one use but them to hear. "One of us has to fight while Our Lord makes sure you don't have a hissy fit when you sneeze." Rho was surprised, he had never seen a person go from so positive to so hurtful and rude, and he certainly didn't expect it from Lucia. Thalia's face went red, a mixture of boiling anger and embarrassment, but also worry. Rho took this moment to stand up and separate them.

"Alright, enough. Thalia, we both know extra hands is something we could do with right now. Lucia, give her a break. We do this as a team or none of this was ever worth doing in the first place."

Thalia looked like she wanted to punch both of them in the face, or at least punch Lucia harder. She scoffed and shrugged away his hand that was on her shoulder and walked off towards the other hunters who acted as if they had heard nothing, which was probably the smartest survival decision they could make. Lucia look as if she was about the burst a blood vessel or cry, and Rho wasn't sure why. "Why did you have say that? The fuck was the point?"

Lucia looked hurt by his words and just gathered her arrows and put them back into her quiver. "We have to get moving soon, my lord. Excusé." She walked off with her head low, walking down the path that lead to the still screeching pigbats. Rho rubbed his forehead, his thumb grazing over his ring that his mother gave him.

"Gods, girls are confusing."

"Oh yeah?" One of the hunters said carrying a large boulder in her tiny teenage arms to use as cover as she grinned at him. "Huntress' are a thousand times worse, because they could both quite easily kill you and each other."

"Great. That's reassuring."

* * *

They had walked for around 20 minutes before they soon realised they had to slow their progress and start finding placed to hid from the pigbat swarm they were approaching. They hadn't been attacked yet, but they had witness what seemed like a wild horse fall from the centre of the swarm and land on the rocky formations with enough force to make Rho cringe from half a kilometre away. They obviously weren't a threat by themselves, but the swarm together would tear them apart.

Then there was the other, not so much of an issue more of an awkward lingering sensation, of Thalia, Lucia and Rho trekking in complete silence since they left camp. Rho could understand why, but neither of them seemed to want to communicate with him either, even though he thought he played devil's advocate pretty well. But then as he gave it more though, he basically said to his 'Sort of' girlfriend that another girl can accompany them on what would have been a nice romantic monster slaying, world saving walk along the mountains.

He suddenly felt rather stupid.

"Right, so we can't keep going this slow." Rho finally said to break the silence between them. "We have to do something about these Pigbats or else we won't reach Vickory peak by 5:17pm." Both of them turned to look at him, Thalia's face was already sweaty and seemed to be half concentrating on him and not falling at the same time, while Lucia just tried to avoid eye contact.

"Come on, there has to be some kind of weakness. How would someone like, I don't know, Hercules or Perseus do in this situation?"

"Percy would charge right in there and say fuck it to wasting time." Thalia smirked and quickly grabbed the rock in front of her to steady herself, only to lose her grip. Rho quickly reached out his hand and held her, pulling her closer to him out of instinct. Right now he forget all he as trying to figure out and held her hand in his and she looked away in shame.

"Well, why don't we do the same?" Lucia spoke up finally, stepping next to them again as Rho quickly placed Thalia's hand on his shoulder. "Rho is right. We can't just cower from these things."

"I am not cowering." Thalia narked. "I'm simply coming up with a strategy for engaging when we do. Why 5:17pm by the way?"

Rho just shrugged. "I mean, Seventeen. Seventeenth day, Seventeenth hour, Seventeenth minute. If this was the Seventeenth month it would be some real Inception shit."

Thalia just sighed and pulled her hand away. "Then how do you expect to get rid of these then, bi-Lucia?" Thalia put on her best fake smile at the purposeful slip of the tongue, but Lucia just took it in her stride.

Rho spoke up before she could, realising they would go nowhere if they started another argument. "I say, let's do it like Percy would then."

Before they could stop him Rho jumped over the rock they were hiding behind, gripping his bow and already drawing two arrows that fitted neatly on the string and the shaft of the bow, as if the bow shifted its frame to match the shot. He fired them into the swarm, catching more than a handful as the arrow pierced the wings of the pigbats.

And that is where he made a mistake.

* * *

Annabeth was walking through the thickets of the forest just behind camp. An early night-time walk was something she needed to clear her head. A lot had been going on through her thoughts, and although typical Camp struggles were of course on her mind, what with the sudden surprise attacks from monsters that seemingly had subsided the past few weeks, the main thing that was pinching her brain was Rho.

She hadn't had so much as one update from him since he set out. Luckily Thalia had called ahead one night to mention his arrival within their ranks, but the distasteful spite in which she mentioned him had her worried he wasn't fitting in. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, since the hunters distrusted all men, even if that man was the son of their patron. But still, the thought of him surrounded by girls night and day…

She was walking back to the Athena cabin when someone strolled up alongside her, a blanket over their knees as they sat in their wheelchair, probably so she wouldn't feel so startled by the sound of hooves. "Good evening Chiron."

"Good evening Miss Chase." The old Centaur rolled next to her as they calmly walked down the gentle slope of the hill towards the cabins. "I can tell plenty of thoughts are running through that bright mind of yours."

Annabeth remained silent for a second, wondering which thought exactly was more prevalent in her mind. "I heard from Percy this morning. He's looking at a few mortal high schools to go to, by his mom's request. He wasn't too excited about it, I mean it's still in his system from Christmas that he wants to stay at Camp more permanently, look after everything, but even I said it's best he live a mortal life too right now."

"Percy still has a lot to learn about the world other than the one we live in, Annabeth." Chiron smiled at her as they slowed their walk as they gazed down at a central fire that people had started in the middle of the camp. The children were laughing and putting dirt in the hoods of the old campers that huddled around the fire for warmth on the cold spring night. "As does young Rho."

Annabeth felt a tension in her spine, a shiver as a few flashes of thought ran through her vision. "Yeah well, he's got his own stuff to worry about. His quest seems to be going well."

"That doesn't mean you don't worry about his present company."

"W-what?" She said startled.

Chiron chuckled lightly as he turned to face her. "My dear, emotions are incredibly hard for demigod's to hide. Even one as wise as you."

Annabeth felt a blush over her face as she quickly tried to hide it by pulling the hood on her own fleece. "I-it's not that! I'm worried sure but, that's because if he fails on his quest it's not just him who we have lost. It's our chance to figure out where these monsters are coming from. Another foothold lost in the upcoming fight…"

Chiron places his hand on her shoulder as he rose from his chair, the Mist faded as he grew twice the height as his horse body emerged under the blanket. He smiled down at her. "I have faith in the Hunter's Son. He is rare, unique, and not just because of his birth right. Because of his mind, his strength, and his heart. He is a bright star, and I have faith he will shine." Chiron bowed to Annabeth and trotted towards the open fire. A few of the campers smiled and beckoned him over as Annabeth stayed in the shadow, deep in thought.

She stayed there thinking about a number of things. Firstly, how hard she's going to hit him when he returns with no warning or calls. Second, how she exactly felt about him. She wasn't sure herself. She had felt nothing but this deep, impulsive, intense emotion when they had kissed, when they had spent the nights together. Did she love him? She didn't know. She thought of the word love and his face wouldn't appear.

Thirdly, she wondered how to explain to Percy exactly what had happened.

That was something she very much knew would be difficult.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone leave the campfire circle, their movement swift as if they were trying to go unnoticed. She squinted her eyes to gaze at the figure, and tasted bitterness as Vivian slinked off towards her cabin.

"What are you up to?" She whispered to herself. "Bitch."

* * *

"Father, may I have a small word?

Zeus moved his gaze from the clouds below Olympus to turn and face the Sun God who stood in the entrance, awaiting the command to approach. The King of the Gods sighed, gesturing for Apollo too approach him as he knelt over the edge once more. Apollo held back the slight apprehension he always had when around his father. He knew he was in one of his moods too, but by now he was used to the anger of his father. It was pretty much constant now a days.

Apollo reached the balcony wall, leaning down with one arm and resting casually against it with his typical grin. "So, how are you? How's things?"

Zeus barely moved his head to glare at Apollo as he kept his head down, but moved his electric blue daggers for eyes to stare at him. "What is it you want?" His usual voice was quiet, but more with contemplation then temper. Probably because he was figuring out the most subtle way to kill however he was thinking about, so that no one would moan at him for it afterwards.

Apollo glanced over the edge, the parting in the clouds revealing the disfigured guise of his nephew, Rho. He figured that's who he was watching. The young boy was swinging his sword wildly in the air as swift blurs, something the size of birds, swooping down and obviously attacking him. "Ah well, I wanted to discuss… Him."

Zeus straighted up and swiped his hand through the clouds, dispersing them just as Rho's misty figured lost his sword and was suddenly knocked over onto his back before seemingly being bombarded by tiny attacked from above. Apollo would laugh, it was rather a comical sight, and he knew Rho would handle it, but now wasn't the time. "Have you come already to beg for me to hold back my punishment for it?"

"That it, is as much your grandson as my nephew." Apollo crossed his arms and let himself fall back, summoning a bed hammock beneath him to catch him as he swung lazily. "And I thought I might as well know the direction your soon-to-be announced gathering will take."

"The direction will be to banishment." Zeus paced slowly around the wall, two or three steps before turning around, clicking his fingers irritated as sparks flew out. "His very existence should be banishment for it's mother too, if not for the circumstances she claimed not long ago."

"So you let your first daughter the right to have children, but deny my twin sister? Father, I know you of all people know what a delight it is to have children-"

"Don't test me, Apollo."

"-And of all people, do you not think the person missing out the most would be Artemis, Goddess of Childbirth itself?" Apollo held himself up in the hammock by his elbows, looking right at his father. "All those women she has helped give birth, even goddess' on this very mountain included. Your daughters. You're nieces. They all have had children they love and care for and who have done marvellous things. And even you're greatest children would not have been born without Artemis' help."

Zeus turned away from Apollo, the storm clouds around them rumbling but Apollo showed no retreat. He was smart enough to know Zeus wouldn't do anything, except perhaps not listen, which is why he made it about his sister. Zeus cared about her greatly. He was only angry because Rho was the only proof that could be used to show her breach of maidenhood, a promise she had made to him. But he knew that wasn't the case.

"She has seen all these brave sons and daughters born, and yet has none to call her own."

"She has her hunters." Zeus turned back, his voice crackling.

"They are fellow maidens, sisters of the hunt, followers. Not children. Not blood."

"And her blood will cause nothing but trouble and destruction. We do not know the potential of such a child. He could be dangerous."

"He could be useful."

"Bahhh." Zeus swatted away Apollo's retort. "You have seen his potential. He could have the ability to taken down the strongest fighters in one shot. His skills are on par with yours. Even surpass."

Apollo lay back in the hammock tutting. "Okay, don't rub it in."

Zeus moved next to the hammock Apollo laid in, and gazed down at the handsome god who left a single eye open and facing the father. "If he becomes corrupt, Olympus will only have another stronger enemy to deal with. What I choose, will be for the betterment of the Gods. Now please, I have other matters to attend." Apollo sighed and rolled onto his feet, straightening his tunic and walking towards the door, but stopped in his tracks as he was who was approaching.

A slight nervous twitch appeared on the God's face as the Goddess of Wisdom walked down the marble steps onto the balcony. The grey, stormy eyes of the black haired Athena approached him, as Apollo put on his show smile as she was about to pass him.

"Oh Wise Sister, I do hope you don't take up much of Fathers time, he is a very busy man as of late."

Athena stopped next to Apollo, not turning her head at all as she laughed lightly and replied. "Oh do not worry. What I wish to discuss will not take long at all. I simply wish to inform him of my daughters, and his daughter's friend."

"I do hope he hasn't don't anything wrong." Apollo asked, his voice lacking the usual coolness.

"That." Athena said stoically. "Is interpreted by the seer."

* * *

Rho fell against the rock exhausted. Sweat fell down his chin as he felt his soaked hair. The high atmosphere made fighting even harder then back on solid ground. Thalia didn't seem much affected by the elevation, and Lucia wasn't as tired as him. He started to feel rather inferior and unhelpful as he caught his breathe back.

"I… Think…. That's all of them…" He panted, the sky clear of any oncoming bombardment from flying micro pigs. "Let's just… rest here a second…"

"No." Thalia said, he knee's shaking ever so slightly but her face determined. "We have to keep moving. It's almost 5pm."

"She is right." Lucia nodded in agreement. This was the first time they seemed to agree the entire trip. "We must get moving My Lord."

"Yea yea… Just give me…" Rho couldn't take a full breathe. They weren't so high up that breathing was impossible but trying to fill your lungs just ended with a feeling of being like winded mid-breath. They were close now at least to the second peak. Vickory was within reaching point and he knew when they got there something was going to go down. Whether it will be a rematch against Euryale, or something worse. He remembered the name the two Gorgon sisters had said. Menoetius? Who was he?

"Come on, we have to go and get this over with so I don't have to hang out with…" Thalia started and rolled her eyes as she looked away from Lucia. "Hang out with more deformed retarded monsters."

"That still wasn't entirely clear if that was targeted at me." Lucia scoffed.

"That was the point."

"Can you two…" Rho stood up, looked at both of them with disbelief. "Seriously. We have better things to do then bicker. I don't know if I have any right to do this, but, I order both of you, as huntress's of Artemis, my mother, to stop fucking arguing over nothing. What has gotten into you both?"

Both girls looked at him with blank faces. Lucia lost her expression and just took a step backwards, turning around before progressing onwards, while Thalia just looked at him before speaking. "Seriously, you are such a moron sometimes." She too turned back and continued onward, a little more slowly and carefully. Rho was left standing there, still panting and now confused more than anything.

He caught up to Thalia, keeping himself enough distance behind to make sure she didn't tell him to back off. But he wanted to stay close, if not for anything but to make sure she doesn't fall backwards. He knew that once this was all over he'd have to talk to her about how she has been acting.

Underneath Rho's feet a rock gave way, a moment of sudden weightlessness until he grabbed a rock and balanced himself. He let out his breathe and called forward. "Careful the rocks here are loose!"

"What?" Thalia said turning around in a panic, her foot slamming down onto the weak rock all too hard. The place she was standing was about to be empty space as a large surface of the rock gave way and she screamed at the top of her lungs as she was suddenly sinking in front of Rho's eyes. He jumped from his place and reached his hand out, clutching hers at the last minute as her body slammed into the steep rock surface as she continued to scream. "Fuck fuck fuck gods fuck!"

"Please… for a second stop cursing…" Rho said as he coughed, the wind knocked from him as he caught her and his whole body pressed to the hard rock by her weight. "Lucia give me a hand!"

"Rho!" Lucia replied with a pained voice, and Rho tried to move his head to look behind him, but only caught in his peripheral vision the thick brown boots of Lucia's, suspended in mid-air. He tried to pull Thalia up, but then suddenly a painfully heavy pressure hit his back and forced all his strength to freeze. He gasped again, trying to lift himself up but the weight held him down.

"Well, Little Murderer." Said a hiss of a voice from the rocks above him as the crushing weight pinned him to the rough rock harder. "It's your turn for the bittersweet poisonous taste of sorrow." The venomous sound of Euryale spoke.

* * *

 **New Chapter in the next few months :)**


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